


Darkness Has a Heart

by Dream_Wreaver



Series: Return [1]
Category: Labyrinth (1986)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-19
Updated: 2017-05-19
Packaged: 2018-11-02 13:30:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 48,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10945500
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dream_Wreaver/pseuds/Dream_Wreaver
Summary: Four years later: someone visits Sarah asking for her help. How is a heroine to refuse? And how will this affect everyone's favorite will they/ won't they couple's dynamic? Will Sarah relearn that not everything in the Labyrinth is what it seems? Rated T for language and Jareth





	1. Chapter 1

Hello lovelies old and new. I finally got an AO3 account and so I decided to start cross posting my works from ff.net. First thing to go up? Of course something from my main fandom. Anyways, enjoy!

He was enraged. How dare she! How dare that impudent mortal wench defy him and all he had to offer her, only to while the hours away in celebration with the dregs of his kingdom! Infuriated could not begin to describe the burning, seething ire boiling within him. To get a handle on his emotions he flew off into the moon, into the night. Sooner than he liked he arrived back at his castle. It was still in one piece, as he knew better than any other how the game worked. Yes, it was all a game. Nevertheless, it was his game and he didn’t like to be beaten at it. He had been begrudgingly impressed when she had made it to the Goblin City despite everything he had thrown at her. Why did nothing ever seem to work on her? Plenty before her had tried, and failed. Most usually gave up within the outer wall, not even bothering to look for a solution. Few that made it into an oubliette attempted again once brought back to the beginning. The handful of runners left: easily distracted by the old and familiar, or the darkest desires they kept locked within their hearts. He was a master of dreams, he knew how to weave them, how to use one’s own fantasies against them. So why did her dreams do nothing to dissuade her? This adventure, tailor-made for her, where had it gone wrong? Why had nothing prevailed over her? Why had the twists and turns of his ever-shifting maze fallen beneath her will? He sat in the windowsill of his private chambers, pondering these questions for many an hour. Even when not alone, whenever there was a quiet moment, his thoughts turned to these diversions. He grew more and more frustrated with no answer to be found, especially when other runners after her had succumbed to the temptations those before her had. He also contemplated revenge, but quickly realized there was no feasible way to accomplish it. She had banned him from her world, which spiked his temper all the more and made him more desperate to know how she had succeeded, the first to do so since he had become king. Sarah Williams was an anomaly in his world, and he just didn’t understand why.

“You underestimated your opponent,” a voice from the shadows said, “That was your first mistake.” Jareth turned from the view of his kingdom: he did not see who was there, but he knew exactly whom it was, “Runners before and after her proved no different from each other. When then, did she?” “You are King of a land where everything seems possible,” the voice replied, “And yet nothing is what it seems. The lesson all others have learned from your Kingdom, and most notably your rule is not to take anything for granted. Yet, that is exactly what you did.”

Jareth tossed his head, Fae pride smarting, “I did nothing of the sort.”

“Yes you did,” the voice argued, “You sized her up and decided her mettle and worth far too early in the game. That left you unfocused, and ultimately the loser.”

“Don’t say another word!” the Goblin King hissed.

“Fine,” the voice said, “And here I was about to tell you the exact moment it all fell apart for you. So be it then, it matters not to me the next time a girl like her comes along you fail yet again."

“Again?” Jareth quietly fumed as he turned to face the shadows, “What makes you think anything like this will ever happen again?”

“Because you refuse to understand, or even publicly acknowledge you made a mistake. Your ego and its little wound will grow to be the ruin of your entire kingdom if you do not heed my words.”

“And why should I?” He felt the sharp sting of a piercing glare and winced ever so slightly.

“You would do well to remember just _whom_ you are speaking to,” the voice spoke lowly, voice measured and just the slightest bit threatening.

Jareth huffed, “Very well, tell me oh wise one: where did I go wrong with the mortal Sarah Williams?”

“Simple,” the voice replied, “You catered the challenge to her.”

“It is what is done with all runners,” Jareth protested, “They are made to face their own dreams, their own fears: and all the unworthy fail, fall to their traps.”

The shadows tutted, “And still you fail in understanding. You make a challenge around dreams and desires. But you have never faced a mortal like Sarah Williams.”

“She’s naught but a child-”

“You are right, but you are also quite wrong Jareth. The female was both woman and child. And that was why nothing you threw at her worked.”

“I do not understand,”

“Of course you would not. You could not understand, because she could not understand. Mortals of that age do not know their own mind. Indeed, they are just barely beginning the journey of discovering who they are. A young adult coming into their own will have a taste for the power an adult wields: they will rage against authority since they realize adults cannot possess all the answers. Therefore, childish temptations will not prove effective.

“At the same time it is a woman-child you were dealing with, a flower just beginning to blossom. Great care is needed to fully bring out its beauty or the bud will not open. Just as you cannot force a flower to bloom at your demand, you cannot force a young maiden into a situation she is not prepared for. She will bolt like a frightened animal which is exactly what happened. True fear will win over temptation every time.”

The detailed reasons for his failure failed to make _him_ feel any better about the situation. Jareth turned to survey all that was his. His city that had but a few hours past been reduced to rubble was already pristine and back to its former glory: no trace of the rock storm that had taken them by surprise. The Labyrinth flexed and shifted as it always had, much like a sleeping feline rearranging itself for more comfort. In fact, there was no physical sign a runner had been there at all, just like every time before it. But he knew: in spite of her probably just being a mortal with no magical abilities, there was something different about Sarah Williams. Something that had left an indelible mark on everyone who encountered her.

Take for example, the dwarf. Before Sarah, Jareth had been able to intimidate him with scarcely a look. The coward would follow orders without question, never take a bribe with the threat of the King’s ire and the Bog hanging over his head. Now he had been one of the main perpetrators who had helped the girl succeed. Sir Didymus, one of the most loyal soldiers he had ever had among his ranks: swayed from his liege, abandoned his post, and attacked his former comrades in order to help her succeed.

This girl, she frustrated him to no end. And yet, at the same time… No. No, he refused to admit it, even to himself. Not after she had refused him so callously.

“You care for the girl, don’t you?” the shadows observed with amusement.

“Bite your tongue,” Jareth gritted his teeth.

“And if I refuse?” the voice continued airily, “What are you going to do? Toss me into the Bog? Ha! I think not,”

“Don’t tempt me,”

“You forget your place in regards to me,” the voice rebuked him.

“I think that after all these years you have forgotten your place,” Jareth countered.

“Perhaps,” the voice allowed, “But you are in no position to do anything about it.”

“How is that so?”

“Just like with the girl Jareth,” the voice sneered superiorly, “you have no power over me. And you never will, if you continue the way you are now.”

“No power over you?” Jareth sputtered angrily, “I _own_ you!”

“You do not,” the voice replied, “You haven’t for the last five-hundred years. I serve whom I desire, when I so desire. That has always been the agreement.”

Jareth opened his mouth to argue, but realizing the futility of such an endeavor closed it once more.

The air surrounding the shadows grew wistful and concerned, “Jareth, there is no need to act this way. You lost, you will have learned. Now all there is to do is move on with your life.”

“We all cope with defeat in different ways,” Jareth muttered in response, “Let me deal with it on my own.”

“Very well Jareth,” the voice conceded, “But don’t think I’ll be leaving you to your own devices for too long. You are a King, and a king is not all there is to a kingdom.”

The shadows suddenly grew lighter and the Goblin King knew he was once more alone. He raised his hand and conjured a crystal.

“Show me Sarah,” he ordered, knowing this would be the only way he could ever set eyes on her again.

***********************************

The smell of autumn was slowly making its way through the streets of the quaint rural New York town. The leaves were beginning to change in preparation for their dance that would being them towards the ground. The fall festival that had started only five years prior was already in full swing: tourists and locals alike wandering up and down main street with candied and caramel apples in hand.

Nineteen-year-old Sarah Williams waved to people she knew as she slowly drove her way through the crowded avenues. Finally, she arrived at the old Victorian house she had called home for so many years. The color had faded with the wear and tear of time, and Merlin was no longer at the door to greet her. As she exited her car to spend a long weekend home with the family she paused. There was a distinct scent in the air, one reminiscent of a summer evening three years passed. And as Sarah’s eyes slid to the porch she half expected raindrops to cloud the vision of her stepmother irately waiting her sodden arrival.

The haze of nostalgia receded and Sarah shook her head, vision clearing. Grabbing the duffel bag from the passenger’s side Sarah slammed her door shut and made her way up the front steps. Her keys jangled in the front locks, followed by the creak of the ancient and heavy oak door.

“Karen?” Sarah called, “I’m home!”

Karen had become the stereotypical housewife, devoting her life to the running of the household and raising of the children. And after the adventure through the Labyrinth, Sarah had stopped being such a thorn in the woman’s side: allowing the two to develop a sort of kinship for the sake of Robert and Toby, as well as a tentative mother-daughter relationship cemented during Sarah’s high school graduation where Karen had cried at how proud she was of her daughter. Not step, just daughter. It had hit even harder in light of the fact that Linda, Sarah’s biological mother, hadn’t even bothered reply saying whether or not she had planned to attend. Sarah had realized at that moment that though Karen could never replace her mother, and thankfully never had tried, she had become the type of mother Sarah needed at that point in her life. And a real conversation with Karen had proved that the woman was more than amendable to Sarah becoming an adult at her own pace.

But there was no response from Karen. Sarah set her bag down in the foyer and started wandering. She found a note on the kitchen counter saying that her step-mother had gone out to run some errands and would be back before Toby arrived home. The note also said there were some leftovers in the fridge she could heat up if she was hungry.

Sarah shook her head; if nothing else, Karen was always the perfect hostess absentee or not.

She returned to the front of the house, grabbed her duffel bag and headed up the stairs, down the hall and to the left. The room that had been hers since her birth was seemingly unchanged: books lined the dressers and shelves, pictures were stuck into the frame of her vanity mirror, and there were whimsical reproductions of art hanging on the walls. However, a more trained eye would notice that where once the books were escapist fairy tales, now there were novels about heroines who saved the day all their own. The older fantasy books, well-worn with love had been relegated to a shelving unit which had once housed stuffed animals. The reddish canopy that had hung above her headboard had been refashioned as a changing area curtain. The closet, once filled with costume dresses of all makes and colors, now held more sedate and active types of clothing. A toy maze sat collecting dust in the corner, guarded by an odd statuette.

Once in her room she set about unpacking her clothes and books. Even on a long weekend there was still work to be done. Sarah decided to work at her vanity, which had long since been been cleared of childhood trinkets. Of course, there was that one drawer. Sarah glared at her reflection: no, that drawer would never be opened again. But as she tried to do her readings for class her attention continually wandered to that drawer. It wasn’t locked, had never been locked, Sarah gave herself more credit than to necessitate a lock on that drawer. Now however, she was questioning the wisdom of that decision.

“No!” she scolded herself when she realized her hand was reaching for the handle.

She was stronger than that. She would not succumb to the temptation of her past. She was a grown woman now dammit! She, Sarah took a good look at herself in the mirror, she needed her friends.

“Guys?” she said tentatively as she touched her fingertips to the glass, “I need you,”

instantly the visions of Sarah, Sir Didymus, and Sarah appeared.

“Sarah?” Sarah began.

“What vexes thee My Lady?” Didymus asked.

“I,” Sarah began as she ran a hand through her hair, disheveling it rather spectacularly, “I don’t know, I just needed to see you.”

“Sarah sad,” Ludo rumbled.

“No Sarah,” Sarah replied, “I’m fine.”

“It doesn’t look that way to us Sarah,” Hoggle told her, “Is something wrong?”

“Yes, what ever is the matter My Lady?” Sir Didymus looked at her with his good eye.

“I guess, I just wanted to know how you were,” Sarah said quickly, “It’s been a while since we last talked.”

“Been even longer for us,” Hoggle muttered under his breath.

“Sir Hoggle!” Didymus admonished, “Hold your tongue from saying such horrid things!”

“T’s true,” Hoggle replied without shame.

“Be that as it may you should not say such things. It could cause distress to our Lady.”

“What do you mean?” Sarah asked, “About it having been longer for you guys, I mean.”

“Time moves a lot differently down here Sarah,” Hoggle explained, “Just like when you came through the first time. Hours, days, weeks, they either move quickly or slowly: change back jars ya either way.”

“I’m not sure I understand,”

“Worry not about it My Lady,” Didymus cut in, “It takes a great deal of time to merely come to terms with it. We have all lived here quite some time and have barely a better grasp on that than when we first learned of it.”

“Sarah’ back to yer question: we’re fine,” Hoggle replied.

“And everyone else?”

The three males looked at each other for a moment and then looked anywhere else besides their friend. Finally, Hoggle cleared his throat,

“Goblins is Goblins Sarah. Ain’t othing’ that can really hurt ‘em sides time itself.”

“And,” Sarah paused, biting her lip and seriously deliberating on whether or not she wanted to ask this next question, “And the King?”

Goggle looked shocked she’d thought to ask. He glanced to Didymus, who gave a subtle nod. Goggle took a deep breath, steeling his resolve.

“Sarah, none of us ‘ave seen hide nor hair of ‘im since the night you won.”

“Is he,” she couldn’t bring herself to finish the statement.

“Course not!” Goggle was quick to reassure her, knowing that while she might not like him very much she’d be concerned for everyone she’d encountered: such was the size of her heart, “He’s just shut ‘imself away. Doesn’t leave the castle, but occasionally Didymus sees an unlucky fool go tippin’ headfirst into the Bog.”

“Oh,” Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, “Well, that’s good to know. I’d hate for anything to happen to you guys, or even the Goblins because of me.”

“That Rat’ll probably outlive us all,” Hoggle said without thinking, “His kind are unnaturally long-lived.”

“Thanks you guys,” Sarah said honestly, “I need to get back to work, but I’ll call you guys later, okay?”

The trio in the mirror nodded and said their goodbyes. Sarah glanced at her reflection where her friends had been scant seconds before and sighed. Furtively she glanced around before opening the drawer she’d sworn she wouldn’t and pulling out two objects. The first was the little red book which had started her on her whole crazy adventure. In spite of all the trouble it had caused, she had never been able to really hate the book thanks to the lessons the ensuing events had taught her. The second was a unique and ornate music box, unlike any other Sarah had ever seen. It depicted a beautiful princess in a silvery white gown, dancing in a little pavilion. Without really thinking about it Sarah wound it up and placed it on the vanity, resting her head on her arms as she watched the little princess spin to the music.

She couldn’t remember the tune it played before. Now it only played His song. It was part of the reason why she tried to keep away from the drawer. Because the last time she had opened it, in an attempt to put away the past for good by getting rid of the objects contained therein, she had dug out the music box and rather stupidly wound it up. Sarah couldn’t remember what song she’d been expecting, but His song wasn’t it. Hearing it again had jarred her so much she hadn’t been able to get rid of the items, the memories the melody evoked too strong and painful to erase completely.

Just as the tune stopped Sarah heard the front door slam accompanied by two distinctive sets of footsteps. One was excited and quick, the other measured and slow. Toby and Karen must have arrived home. Sarah rose from the vanity chair and opened the door to her room, heading to the stairs and stopping on the landing midway down. She didn’t see anyone. Odd, Sarah checked her wristwatch: what time did Toby usually arrive home? It was almost two o’clock, sounded roughly the right time for him to be home from kindergarten. Sarah headed down the rest of the stairs, calling out as she did.

“Karen? Toby?” no answer. Sarah headed for the kitchen, the same direction the footsteps had headed earlier. There she found Karen preparing food presumably for dinner while Toby munched on a sandwich and chips.

“There you guys are,” Sarah said with relief.

Karen looked up at her step-daughter, seeming surprised, “I called out that we were home when we came in, didn’t you hear?”

Sarah flushed, “I must’ve had my headphones in or something,” she mumbled. Turning to five-year-old Toby she grinned, “What’s up squirt?”

Toby looked up from his meal, “Sarah!” he exclaimed happily, bouncing out of his seat and into his sister’s arms.

“Hey there, I missed you,” Sarah said into his mop of curly hair.

“I missed you too Sarah,” Toby replied, burrowing into the older girl’s shoulder.

“How have you been?”

“Good,”

“You been lonely since I haven’t been around?”

Toby giggled, “No silly, I gots the Goblins that play with me!”

Sarah paled, “What did you say?”

Karen chuckled in that grown-up way that suggested whatever a child was saying was complete and utter nonsense but it was best to go along with it anyways, “Shortly after you left for college Toby says that the Goblins have come over to play with him in his room. He blames them for all the messes I find shortly before bedtime.”

Toby pouted, “And then Mom makes me clean them up all by myself. She doesn’t punish the Goblins who made the mess.”

“How can I believe that there are Goblins who make the messes if they’re never around when I come in?” Karen asked playfully.

“They like to hide,” Toby announced with all the solemnity a boy of four years could muster, “You just gotta look for them.”

“Oh do I?”

Toby nodded, “You gotta, you gotta,” he tugged at Sarah’s hand, “Come on Sarah! Let’s go look for Goblins!”

Sarah pulled back and stood up, “Um, not right now little bro. instead of looking for Goblins, how about we go to the park and play knights and dragons?”

“But I wanna look for the Goblins!” he whined.

“Toby, I promise I’ll look for Goblins with you later,” Sarah fibbed, “But right now I could really use some fresh air. Please?”

Toby pouted, but nodded anyways, “Okay…” he said reluctantly. He ran off shortly after to grab his shoes and anything else he wanted to bring with him, leaving Sarah and her step-mother alone in the kitchen.

“Sarah,” Karen said as she finished her prep-work and set it inside the fridge for later, “If you’re taking Toby to the park I want the both of you wearing sweaters. I don’t want either of you catching a cold through the weekend.”

“Yes Karen,” Sarah replied in that singsong way that meant she’d heard the spiel before and was only going along with it to avoid further lecturing, “We’ll be good and take our sweaters. Should I make Toby take his knit hat just in case?”

Karen gave a small quirk of her lips, amused instead of irritated by the younger woman’s sass, “No, I don’t think all that will be necessary. How long do you two plan on staying at the park?”

“Not for too long: maybe a couple of hours at the most. We’ll definitely be back before dinner, earlier than that if it starts getting dark.”

Karen hesitated, as though she had something to say. Instead what came out was, “Very well then, have a good time you two!”

“We will!” Sarah called as Toby, already in a sweater and shoes, started pulling her towards the front door, “Bye, we love you!”

***********************************

Hours later found the entire Williams family in the living room, minus Sarah who was heading to her own room to lie down. The park had been a fun trip; Toby had been excited to get out and play for longer. On top of all that, the park was a popular attraction for many families in the area during the fall, as the groundskeepers always left piled of leaves raked up around the premises for both children and adults to leap into if their hearts so desired. And Toby did, over and over again he leapt into the leaf pile, throwing leaves and getting them all over himself, and getting his big sister to join in. Sarah caught herself looking for other spectators to what she was about to do and stopped. Since when did she care what other people, especially those from her own home town, thought about her? She was her own person and if she wanted to enjoy an autumn leaf pile romp with her little brother than it was her prerogative to do so. So, throwing further caution and censure to the wind, Sarah took a running start and bounded into the pile: tackling Toby to the ground and tickling him mercilessly. That had started a leaf war: Toby and Sarah throwing balled up wads of leaves at each other for goodness only knows how long. It had been an enjoyable battle that ended with a truce, flushed cheeks, and heaving chests. Suddenly realizing the bite in the air and the position of the setting sun Sarah rose to her feet and half-walked, half-dragged Toby home while it was still light out.

Dinner had been a less but still pleasant affair. Toby regaled his father with stories of his adventure at the park for a good twenty minutes or so: exaggerating the details of what really happened and even throwing in a few things that didn’t, his sister only correcting him when he said something that would have caused Karen worry. After the little boy’s pseudo-epic was completed attention turned to Sarah and with it all the perfunctory questions that came along with a college student’s homecoming for any length of time. How is school? Are your classes interesting? What are the professors like this semester? Is the work load difficult? Are you getting enough sleep? On and on, and then Karen struck. She proceeded to ask Sarah about her dating life, or rather: her lack thereof. So, have you met any interesting people at school? Made any new friends this semester? Any problems with anybody?

Thankfully the family had been finished with their dinners at this point and Sarah had been able to excuse herself without seeming too rude. Declining dessert Sarah quickly darted out of dodge and up the staircase, only pausing when she overheard the adults talking about her.

“Oh Robert I just don’t know what to do about that girl sometimes,”

“What are you worrying about now Karen dear?”

“She’s nineteen years old, shouldn’t she have gone on at least one date by now?”

Sarah resisted the urge to scoff but not the one to roll her eyes. Though it might not have qualified in the strictest of senses, and though she would never admit it to anyone aloud: Sarah Williams _had_ been on a date. At least, that’s what she considered most of the latter half of the fever dream she’d had while journeying through the Labyrinth. True, some of the memory had been tainted with the fact that the Goblin King had been using it in order to make her fail in her quest, but the ball had been inordinately lovely all the same. From an aesthetic and detached point of view anyways. And the _dance_ , she’d never danced like that before: it was a wonder she’d been able to at all. Then again, if she were ever forced to say one positive thing about her former adversary –and even that was only under threat of death or extreme torture- : it was that he was quite the exceptional dancer. Of course, she mused without meaning to, he was a King. It was probably one of the requirements in the genteel society he seemed to prefer being a part of. Shaking her head to rid herself of too overly deep thoughts about the man, Sarah decided to continue her eavesdropping.

“Karen, please,”

“Not one man outside of family has ever been able to get close to her!” Sarah snorted softly, “Not to any of her proms, not to a graduation party, and not even since she started college!”

“Karen, calm down,” Robert pleaded, “Why are you so concerned about this? Sarah’s a grown woman who’ll date when she feels ready.”

Sarah couldn’t see the expression, but she could only imagine that her step-mother was pouting, “But Robert, is it so wrong for me to want to see her happy? She’s such a special girl, so unique and beautiful. In spite of everything we went through with her the first couple of years after our marriage, she’s become like my own daughter to me. Is it so wrong for me to want to see her settled down and happy with someone?”

That gave Sarah pause, _that_ had been the whole reason Karen wanted her to start dating all those years ago? For some reason she had assumed that the older woman had pushed dating on her as a way to get her out of the house for an evening so she could play the happy family with the two other people she actually wanted to be a part of it.

“I know,” she heard her father say, “Sarah is all that and more. She’s intelligent and witty and incredibly eloquent. She’s so different from a lot of other young women her age. And when she talks about something she’s passionate about?” he whistled, “I haven’t seen her with such fire in her eyes since before Linda-” he cut himself off, probably being mindful of Toby’s presence in the room.

“Sometimes I wonder if she isn’t a little _too_ different,” Karen said concernedly, “Perhaps I should get in contact with some of my old school mates, surely one of them must have a nice young man we could introduce to-”

“Now Karen,” Robert interrupted, “Sarah is her own woman. She’s a lot like her mother was: incredibly independent and someone who moves to the beat of their own drum. Sarah will date whomever she wants to, _when_ she wants to and not a moment before. And we as her parents will be supportive of whomever she brings home to us, whether we like them or not.”

Sarah was speechless. She’d never heard her father set his foot down when disagreeing with her stepmother. Usually Karen would be able to win him over to her side of the argument because her father, ever the peacekeeper, didn’t like too much friction and conflict in one place. She brushed a tear aside at the way her father had defended her, thankful she had family like that in her life.

After her father’s declaration of neutrality on her love life, Sarah decided to really retire to her room for the remainder of the evening. With a heavy sigh she trudged up the rest of her stairs when she remembered something. Earlier today Toby had said something about playing with Goblins, Sarah’s brow furrowed. He shouldn’t have been able to see the Goblins; the Goblins shouldn’t have even been able to go near him. Unless… damn that glittery bastard! Sarah stopped at the door to her room with a start. She had won the baby back dammit! His royal annoyingness had no authority to go and set his unruly subjects loose around the boy.

Sarah felt her temper boil as she stood outside her room, hand on the doorknob and seething something fierce. Oh he was so gonna get it, power and kingship over the Goblin realm be dammed she was not going to stand by and let her little brother fall prey to the horde of creatures she had risked her life trying to rescue him from. With the thought of telling the Goblin King off once and for all Sarah furiously flung open the door to her abode.

“So you _finally_ decide to show up, hm?” a condescending voice said from within, “It’s about time. Very rude to keep an audience waiting you know.”

Sarah stopped short, very confused and still somewhat angry. She looked towards the vanity where she had heard the voice come from. Upon the table top she saw a young adolescent woman, no more than seventeen at the very most, sitting with her legs crossed and painting her nails silver. She had long ebony hair that appeared to be braided back, ivory skin, and she wore odd clothes: almost medieval in style but clearly modern in appearance. The young woman was utterly engrossed in the task of decorating her fingertips, yet seemed to be waiting for Sarah to say something back.

Finally, Sarah regained her ability to speak, “Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my room?”

The young woman chuckled rather indulgently, “Temper, temper dear,” she chided amusedly, “And you really should watch your language, it’s rather unbecoming for a young lady to be so vulgar with her words.”

“Answer the damn question,” Sarah hissed.

At last finished with her mundane task the young woman set the brush back in the bottle and vanished it. She waved her hands a few timed before finally deigning to meet Sarah’s gaze. Sarah, for her part, held in a gasp: the young woman was Fae. She could tell by the odd yet familiar eye markings she had seen on one Goblin monarch. Her eyes were even a similar shade of blue, but these eyes held far more wisdom within them.

Setting her arms behind her and bracing her weight against them the young woman gave a smile, “Very well then, but shall we allow for introductions first? I’m sure that would be far easier in the long run.”

“You wanna give me a name to curse to the high heavens?” Sarah quipped.

The young woman laughed, “Your father described you quite aptly: that rapier wit of yours is truly something to behold,” ignoring Sarah’s gaping expression she continued, “Of course, I already knew that.”

Sarah rolled her eyes in exasperation, “Could you please just tell me your name?”

“My name?” the woman tilted her head and looked at Sarah owlishly. The latter fought off the urge to shiver at how familiar that gesture was. A low chuckle accompanied the former’s next words, “My you are direct, aren’t you? But to answer your query, you can call me Ciara.”

“I can call you Ciara?” Sarah questioned, “What does that mean? Ciara’s not your real name?”

Ciara brushed imaginary dust from her shoulder, “Heavens no. My real name comes from a language that has long since uttered its last breath. I’ve been known by Ciara ever since.”

“So, what are you doing here?”

“So businesslike,” Ciara remarked, “And what if I told you I came without a purpose?”

“I’d tell you to quit wasting my time and leave,” Sarah replied, “I have work to do.”

Ciara ran a finger along the spine of the textbook Sarah had left behind, “I’m sure,” she commented lightly, as though any work Sarah may or may not have had was inconsequential. That sort of superior attitude had always infuriated Sarah.

“And _I’m_ sure your visit here doesn’t have a purpose: so you can leave now,” Sarah gestured to the open window, assuming that’s how the girl had gotten in.

Ciara leaned forward, leaning her head into her hand, “And if I refuse?” the words were a lightly veiled insult, belying the fact that the Fae didn’t believe Sarah would be able to back up whatever threat she’d make.

“I’ll,” Sarah paused, not in all actuality knowing how to get rid of an unwanted Fae. Her eyes landed on the little red book and she had a plan, “I’ll, I’ll say the words!” she declared.

Ciara’s eyes widened, but it wasn’t in fear like Sarah had hoped. Instead she received a superior smirk, “You’re going to say that I have no power over you?” she guessed, “How adorable!”

She laughed, a clear ringing sound that Sarah would have found beautiful if it’s condescending tone hadn’t been directed toward her. Her face grew red with barely concealed fury.

Ciara paid her no need, continuing to proclaim her mirth. When she finally finished she took one look at Sarah’s expression and the smug smirk returned fill-force, “Oh calm down,” she chided, “I’m not laughing you: merely at the notion that you think one set of words can rid you of any and all Fae related problems. Hate to burst your bubble dear,” she continued, “But those words only work if a Fae is _trying_ to claim power over you. I have no such intentions.”

Ciara’s mannerisms and patterns of speech were very reminiscent of someone Sarah didn’t particularly care for. Sarah groaned, “You’re so annoying. You remind me of someone that is just intolerable!”

Ciara leaned forward, “Intolerable you say?” she put a finger to her chin in mock-thought, “That someone wouldn’t happen to be a certain big-headed, aristocratic King, now would it?”

Sarah was taken aback at the knowledge this woman seemed to have into her head, “Maybe,” Sarah neither confirmed nor denied, “How do you know about anything like that?”

The inky-haired woman leaned forward like someone about to let another in on a secret, “Why do you think I’m here?”

Sarah felt her face flush, “You know then, about what happened between me and-”

“Jareth? Of course I do, it's not every day someone -especially a mortal like you- wins a game against the Great Goblin King.”

The mention of the Goblin King reminded Sarah of why she had come in the first place, “That damn King!” she swore, “I came in here to tell him off!”

Ciara looked even more amused, if that were possible, “Oh? Praytell, why?”

Sarah huffed, “I won back the child, he has no right to let his Goblins run amok around Toby. I don’t want that; he’ll be led astray if this keeps up.”

The Fae held a hand out to stop the inevitable rant, “Hold your horses dear: there’s no need to get mad at Jareth,”

Sarah raised a skeptical brow, “And why not?”

“Because,” Ciara explained, “he’s not the one who placed the Goblin Guard on your brother; I did.”

Sarah opened her mouth with a retort about the Goblin King, but it died when Ciara admitted her own involvement, “Wait, _you’re_ the one who let those Goblins hang around Toby?”

“Of course,” replied the adolescent, “He needed the protection and you and your little self-righteous declaration prevented Jareth from doing anything.”

“Self-righteous?” Sarah exclaimed angrily, “What the hell do you mean by-”

“‘For my will is as strong as yours, and my kingdom as great’,” Ciara mimicked Sarah’s voice, “Words have power, what did you think would happen?”

“Okay, okay,” Sarah tried to calm down, remembering that Fae were never as they appeared to be, “Let’s back up here and try to get through this logically. My first question is, why do Toby and I need this supposed protection?”

“You’ve both been touched,” Ciara explained, with only a slight hint of annoyance in her tone rather than the extreme mount Sarah was sure she must have felt, “You are not only the Champion of the Labyrinth and by extension of the Goblin Kingdom, you were also bitten by a Fairy prior to starting your quest, and the both of you have eaten Fae food.

“While I’m sure that, given enough time in the mortal world, the Fae touch would fade, as it stands now your Changeling status is more than apparent to any magical creature in the area, as well as any human that can sense magic.”

Sarah tilted her head, obviously confused, “Wait, what do you mean Toby and I ate Fae food?”

The Fae woman rolled her eyes and looked about Sarah’s room, noting the collections of Fairy lore that still adorned many of Sarah’s shelves, “For such an avid collector of Fairy tales, you seem to have forgotten the most important rule of Fairyland.”

A brunette brow arched, “And that would be?”

“Never, under any circumstances, eat any food given to you.”

Sarah’s eyes widened as she remembered that enchanted, or rather cursed, peach she’d been given.

“Damn that King!” she swore, then sighed, “Okay, that accounts for me, but when in hell did Toby eat Fae food?”

“I know your opinion of Jareth is quite low, but do you really think he’d be so cruel as to let a child starve for eleven hours?”

“I,” Sarah began. The truth was that she had thought him cruel, but in her defense he had said as much in the Escher room. However, she had never thought he had interacted at all with Toby. She had assumed that the child was put into an enchanted sleep and kept elsewhere in the castle than wherever it was that Jareth was during her run.

“I didn’t think so,” Ciara remarked smugly.

“I didn’t think about it at all,” Sarah begrudgingly admitted.

“Most people don’t,” the girl assured her, “So I really can’t fault you on that account. But getting back to my point: Tobias was fed Fae food and so he’s a Changeling like you. The only difference is that you have the title of Champion of the Labyrinth to protect you, he does not.”

“What do you mean about that title protecting me?”

The Fae sighed, “You have been titled by the crown whether you ever realized it or not. That title marks you as above all other Changelings and it protects you. Only a fool would dare use you for any political gain. Tobias on the other hand, was simply fed Fae food, he has no title that would protect him but the scent of a Changeling. That could attract far darker creatures than Jareth and his Goblin minions. I have a deep-seated worry for children, so I asked a few of Jareth’s more competent Goblin soldiers to keep a guard on him. And it’s worked incredibly well.”

“Why?”

“Most Fae, and quite a few of those other dangerous creatures, cannot stand Goblins. They avoid them at all costs, and since the Goblins guard Tobias, the creatures that could harm them would have to battle against creatures they detest: and Goblins do not go down without,” she looked at Sarah, “Oh what’s the expression? Ah yes, Goblins do not go down without one hell of a fight.”

“Goblins?” Sarah asked in disbelief. That hadn’t been the way she’d seen them fight.

“Yes Goblins. I’m sure they weren’t quite so tenacious during your journey. But then again, they are smart enough to know the difference between a game and a battle.”

“That whole thing was a game?”

“In essence, yes. Sarah, do you really think you were in any true danger during your stay in the Goblin Kingdom?”

“When I was hanging over the Bog maybe,”

Ciara laughed, “Yes well, smelling bad forever is not the same thing as mortal danger. The Goblins can tell when a runner is running for the game, or when they are trying to invade and they adjust their behavior accordingly. Believe me when I say that you would not have wanted to face the Goblin Army if they were being serious.”

“I’ll take your word for it then,” Sarah said simply because she could think of nothing else to say in regards to that statement. She mulled over all this new information, “Okay, so Toby has a group of Goblins that protect him on your personal order. How did you do that? What sort power do you have in regards to the Goblins?”

Ciara’s smile turned a combination of both knowing and teasing, “Me, dear Champion? I am someone very important, and very, _very_ close to Jareth. Naturally the Goblins respect my authority.”

Unbidden, Sarah’s eyes flickered to the ring finger on Ciara’s left hand. There was no ring to indicate she was tied to anyone, but then again Sarah didn’t really know how they exchanged vows in the Fairy Tale world. How long had he been involved with this woman? Sarah’s indignation grew that the thought that the glittery jerk of a king had been flirting with her, damn near _seducing_ her when he was already spoken for.

“That damn Git!” Sarah growled, “I don’t know what I’m gonna do when I see him, but you can bet it’s going to be extremely painful!”

Ciara’s laugh echoed off the walls again, “Your reactions are quite amusing Champion,” she said.

Sarah whirled on her, “How can you be so calm about the fact that he was flirting with me when he was,” she didn’t know what stage their relationship was at, so she improvised, “involved with you?”

Ciara merely continued to laugh, “I’m both flattered and insulted. But calm your jealous rage my dear: I’m not romantically involved with Jareth in any way, shape, or form.”

“I’m not jealous!” Sarah sputtered, though inwardly relieved about the Fae’s admission.

“Hmm,” Ciara hummed amusedly, “Keep telling yourself that.”

“But that doesn’t answer my question,” Sarah continued as if the other female hadn’t spoken, “Who are you? And what are you doing here?”

“Who I am, is why I’m here,” the ebony-haired girl replied enigmatically.

“I’m afraid I don’t quite follow,” Sarah told her, “So, if you’re not his partner, for lack of a better word: what’s your relationship with him?”

“Why the curiosity?”

“I’m simply trying to figure out how you had the authority to make Goblins do what you told them.”

“I didn’t tell them to do anything, I merely asked and they were all too happy to accept. You aren’t the only one who loves that little boy you know.”

“Regardless, what’s our connection with the Goblin King? Are you like his sister or something?”

Ciara gave a light blush and patted her cheek in a preening manner, “Flattering, but wrong.”

“Okay,” Sarah examined the woman and tried to figure out how she could be connected with her former adversary, “Some distant cousin?”

“I’m far too close for that.”

“The only other thing coming to mind right now is mother,”

“Now I’m both flattered _and_ insulted!” Ciara exclaimed mirthfully.

“How so?”

“I’m flattered you think I’m young enough to be his mother, insulted you think I birthed him. I mean, we look nothing alike, though I do suppose that guess is the closest you’ve gotten.”

“Alright,” Sarah sighed, “I give up. Please tell me who you are?”

Ciara continued to laugh, “My dear girl, I’m neither Jareth’s mother nor any other female relative of any degree.”

“Then, as I’ve asked at least five times already, who are you?” Sarah asked.

 Ciara leaned forward both and smiled both superiorly and conspiratorially, “I’m his nanny.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things begin to get interesting, and Sarah may or may not have to play another game

Sarah was flabbergasted, “You’re, you’re his _nanny_?”

Ciara nodded, “Yep.”

Sarah shook her head, “I don’t believe it. There is no way you could be even slightly older than the Goblin King, let alone old enough to raise him in place of his parents.”

“Oh Sarah, there’s no slightly about it. I’m far older than he is. In fact, I’m one of the oldest living magical creatures around.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“I’ve been nanny to Jareth’s family for the past several generations. That’s quite a long time, a few eternities for some, actually.”

“How far back?”

Ciara paused, thinking, “Hmm, I’d have to say at the very least back to his great, great-grandfather. It’s one of the few problems I have with this position: they live so long and don’t really show any signs of aging so it’s hard to remember how long I’ve been caring for the family,” she shrugged, “But in all honesty it’s not as big of a problem as I might have made it sound.”

“So how did you become this, nanny?” Sarah was confused by how this woman looked younger than her yet was probably a thousand years or possibly more, older.

“I raised five younger siblings practically by myself after our mother passed away,” Ciara replied, “This was back in the days shortly before the Roman invasion of Briton, for reference. Anyways, Father worked and I stayed at home raising the children. When we needed supplies Father was generous enough to go with all of us so I could get what was needed. We were incredibly poor by that standard; it was truly a struggle to survive. Anyways, one day the children were giving me trouble, and rather than let it go on I merely reminded them of their discipline regiment and they fell back in line almost instantly,” Ciara smiled fondly at the remembrance, “One of Jareth’s ancestors was there, hoping to cause mischief I presume, but found me instead. He was impressed enough to offer me a permanent position with his family. I said I would in exchange for my family being taken care of for the rest of their days.

“We agreed, I said my goodbyes, and I was taken to the Underground to handle his children from that day forward.”

“So when did you stop aging?” Sarah asked.

“The day I was marked,” Ciara answered, pulling at the neck of her tunic and tugging it down to showcase a bizarre little mark located over her heart. It was a circle perhaps no bigger than a dollar coin, inked completely in black, with mazelike designs spiraling through the inside.

“What is that?”

Ciara smiled mysteriously, “This,” she said fingering the mark, “is a remnant of an ancient and forgotten bonding process.”

“How does is work? I mean, if you were bonded to the head of the family you would be dead by now, wouldn’t you?”

“Astute observation,” Ciara remarked, “And that would be true, if I had been bonded to the head of the family. No, the spell that was used for my mark binds me to the family as a whole. As long as there is a Fae living who bears the name of the family, I am to serve them. However, I have been around for so long, I am like part of the family myself.”

“So, you have to serve as nanny to the children of the head?”

“It is a bit more complex than that. Basically, I raise my assigned children until they have children, and the cycle continues. But Fae fertility rates being what they are: there’s often a five-hundred-year gap between siblings. On top of that, there’s also a child limit.”

“Fertility rates?”

“Part and parcel of the extended lifespan gig. You live longer, but you have more trouble conceiving. That’s why the Goblin Kingdom is such an important part of Fae life, unless you’re one of the liberals that intermarry.”

“Liberals? Intermarry?”

Ciara sighed, “Fae politics are incredibly complex and even more tedious, I could spend a hundred mortal years lecturing you and you still wouldn’t be able to get it. But in essence, most Fae don’t believe in interspecial marriage: that is, marrying a creature with a higher fertility rate. Humans are unique because, if taken early enough, they can become Fae and thus become pure-blooded. However, there was a law put into place when Humans were wishing their children away willy-nilly in hopes that they would find a better life. The law put a limit on how many children, adopted or biological, a Fae family could have in order to keep some families from getting too powerful from sheer force of numbers. Jareth’s was among those groups, I believe.”

Sarah shook her head, “What? Why would his family need to be controlled like that?”

Ciara shook her head, “You haven’t been around long enough. I understand and respect your gumption to stand up to him, but you must remember that in polite society –should you ever return that is- that sort of disrespect towards Jareth is seen as disrespect to his family and could get you in big trouble.”

“Why?”

“Jareth is from a very ancient, very noble, and very, _very_ powerful family. They are second only to the King and Queen of the High Court. His family is also special because no heir to the family has ever been a Changeling, though they have adopted them in the past. However, all Heads of the Family were born of the union between the last head and his partner. That is partially why his family is in charge of the Goblin Kingdom, to limit their political clout by distancing them from the ‘acceptable’ courts.”

“Okay…” Sarah drew out the word, “As fascinating as all this is, it really doesn’t explain why you’re here.”

“You mean besides disrupting natural narrative by showing up unannounced without any context, making sly jabs at the fourth wall every now and then, and acting as the overall beleaguered fangirl?”

Sarah blinked nonplussedly, “What?”

Ciara waved her hand, “Meta-humor dear. Never mind it,”

“Oookaaay…”

“Getting back on track: that question is simple enough to answer,” Ciara replied, “I’m here to ask a boon of you.”

“And that would be?”

“I need you to return to the Goblin Kingdom and talk some sense into my charge.”

Sarah scoffed, “Pfft, why would I do that?”

“Because you care,”

“About him? I don’t think so.”

“If not about Jareth, then about your friends, and about the other inhabitants of the Labyrinth.”

“Why me?”

“Because I’ve been lecturing him for the last twenty-eight years and he hasn’t yet listened to me?”

“Twenty-eight years?”

“Certainly, if I recall you had a conversation about this with your Dwarf friend just a few hours ago. It’s roughly seven years for us for every mortal year.”

“But, I spent eleven hours in the Labyrinth! When I came back Toby and I were only gone five.”

“True, but Jareth also reordered time for you. Technically speaking you should have been gone far longer,” Ciara pointed out, “Which brings me back to the issue at hand: I would like for you to come back and talk some sense into Jareth.”

“Why does it have to be me?” Sarah moaned, “Surely you can do it, can’t you?”

“I’ve _tried_ in case you weren’t paying attention. But he’s done listening to me, and anyways: as Champion of the Labyrinth it’s your responsibility to help keep the Kingdom safe.”

“Since when?” Sarah pressed, “I was never informed of this!”

“Since always: every person who has beaten the Labyrinth has been made its Champion, and let me tell you there aren’t that many of you.”

“But you said the Labyrinth was nothing more than a game, that the creatures within it weren’t being serious, that I wasn’t in any real danger!” Sarah pointed out.

“You weren’t in any _mortal_ danger,” Ciara clarified, “There’s quite a hefty price to pay for killing a mortal you invited into your realm, it’s considered poor hospitality. But, even though there are few humans that have solved the Labyrinth, there are even fewer Fae which can claim the same thing.”

“Not even Fae can solve that maze?” Sarah questioned, “Why? It’s a piece of cake!”

“I don’t recall you saying that while you were hanging feet-first over the Bog,” Ciara retorted.

“If you’re trying to convince me to help, you’re doing a poor job of it,” Sarah replied.

“Fair enough,” Ciara warranted, throwing her hands up in a placating gesture.

“Why does it have to be me?” Sarah protested once more, “And for that matter, why do you think I’d want to help him? He’s my enemy!”

Ciara cocked a brow, “Explain please,”

Sarah got fired up, “Oh, where do I begin! He stole my baby brother right out of his bed, he threw a snake at my throat, changed my marks, dropped me down into an Oubliette, sent Hoggle to try and lead me back to the beginning, sent the Cleaners after us, nearly allowed my head to be ripped off from my body, sent Hoggle and I hurtling into the Bog, forced my friend to betray me –by giving me a spiked peach, no less- embarrassed me in front of all those people in that fever dream or whatever it was, and sent his entire army after me once I reached the City, then, tried to trick me at the very end by playing on my hope for a Prince Charming and a happily ever after!”

“Well,” Ciara replied, “Aside from the whole baby-stealing bit, and the fact that a mortal’s first rule in Fairyland is to never eat the food: those are issues you’d have to work out with him yourself.”

The rant had exhausted Sarah’s ire, and she stood there panting slightly, “Surely, there are other Champions that could knock some sense into him?” she asked tiredly.

The Fae woman rolled her eyes, “ _You_ , Sarah Williams, are the only Champion Jareth has ever had since his reign began. And he’s been King a great deal longer than any of his predecessors. All the other Champions are dead, have been for centuries now. Besides that, you’re the only one I can trust to knock some sense into Jareth. Anyone else simply isn’t capable.”

“Why not?”

Sighing, Ciara said, “Bear in mind I say this with the utmost affection, because I love Jareth: I really do. However, even I have to admit that he’s always been a,” she paused, “difficult child.”

Sarah snorted, “I imagine so, but I’ll bite anyways: how difficult?”

Ciara rubbed at her temples tiredly, “At best: he’s a romantic, charming, well-mannered, suave, and incredibly sweet. At his worst though,” she groaned, “he’s nothing but a spoilt child: vain, self-absorbed, and _extremely_ temperamental.”

“Gee,” Sarah said, voice oozing sarcasm, expression mock thoughtful, “I wonder whose fault that is?”

“Oh no: don’t even try to pin this on me missy,” Ciara fought back with the elegance and poise of a noble, “I spoiled him no more than I spoiled any other charges over the years, and even then I only spoiled him with love and physical affection: two things most Fae seem to lack. I do _know_ how to raise a child, you know.”

“Apparently not,” the brunette retorted, “Because that’s not the way he turned out.”

Sharp blue eyes narrowed at her, “Believe me when I say I know how to raise a child, and raise it right. Unfortunately, all that right raising goes right out the window once your charge is formally presented at court.”

“In English, please,”

Ciara mock glared at the girl, “You’ve got men and women alike sucking up to you, fawning and simpering in an attempt to win your favor. All you hear about is how great your family, and by extension you are: how noble, how powerful, how _nauseating_ ,” Ciara stuck her tongue out and gagged, “Of course, it wasn’t helped by the fact that Jareth is quite good-looking and, if you’ll excuse my indelicateness, how legendary his skills in pleasuring his partners are.”

Sarah blanched, “Too much info,”

Ciara laughed mirthlessly, “Don’t play coy girl, I saw you in the ballroom. And with the way he dresses? Did you honestly expect something less?”

“I can honestly say this is the one time I didn’t want verbal confirmation of my expectations,” Sarah replied, trying not to wrinkle her face up and failing miserably.

Ciara shrugged, “Se la vie,” she said in response.

Sarah pinched her brow and sighed, “Okay, let’s go through this logically. So you’re telling me the Goblin King needs someone to come and get his ass in gear, why? What’s wrong with him?”

“Ever since you hoisted him on his own petard he’s been nothing but a sulking little prat. He forgets he has a kingdom to run, but Danu forbid I nag him anymore than I already have.”

“And if I refuse?”

“Then you are completely within your rights to do so: just because you _should_ do something doesn’t mean you _have_ to. However…” the way Ciara trailed off at the end worried Sarah.

“However what?” Sarah asked, “Why do I get the feeling of foreboding from you right now?”

“It’s nothing really,” it was said the way someone trying to assure someone else something was nothing, “I just worry a little, that is all.”

“Worry?” Sarah replied, “About what?”

“Well,” Ciara wrung her hands together, clearly concerned, “with Jareth not completely focused on ruling his kingdom, I fear the realm may be susceptible to invasion. If another Fae can successfully infiltrate the Labyrinth and get to the castle: they can challenge Jareth’s claim to the throne. And if such a usurper was successful, you should be worried as well.”

Sarah shook her head ever so slightly, confused as to why a usurper would be an issue, “Why?”

“Despite how reluctant of a King he might be, Jareth at least as some modicum of respect for the subjects he rules over. Say another Fae did claim the throne, what do you think it would mean for your friends if a less empathetic Fae became their sovereign?”

“I,” Sarah stopped, failing to see how a Fae could truly be cruel to those beings, “I don’t know,”

Ciara inclined her head and stared at the mortal a moment before sliding off the vanity and pulling out the chair, “Would you like to know?” she asked, face and voice impassive.

As if her words were hypnotic music Sarah made her way to the chair and sat down before the mirror. Ciara stepped behind her, hands at her shoulders and looking tense. For a few moments neither said anything, neither did anything. The anticipation built, and Sarah could see the emotions of whether or not she should be shown this warring across Ciara’s face. The fingers on Sarah’s shoulders curled and uncurled as Ciara continued her internal debate, to the point where the brunette was sure she’d have claw-like indents left in her skin. She laid a hand atop the Fae’s.

“Whatever it is, I’m sure I can handle it,” she said softly, hoping to reassure her companion.

“It’s not that I don’t think you can handle it,” Ciara assured her, “It’s just that I’m trying to figure out which one to start off with. This vision can be such a pain sometimes.”

“What vision?” Sarah turned to physically face the other woman.

“I have a third eye,” Ciara replied, “I can make predictions about fixed points in history if something had been altered, and similarly I can somewhat accurately predict the future. How else do you think I was able to keep tabs on five younger siblings?” she raised a brow.

“So if I asked what would happen if Hitler hadn’t rose to power?”

“Is that before or after he wrote his manifesto?”

“Before,” Sarah thought for a moment, “And before he was kicked out of art school for that matter. Would those atrocities still have happened? Would all those people have died?”

“Hmm,” Ciara closed her eyes and concentrated, “World War Two still would have happened, but it would have lasted much, much longer.”

“There would have been someone else?”

“My dear, there’s always going to be someone else. The Human world thrives on balance.”

“Balance?”

“How boring do you think life would be if you succeeded at everything you ever attempted and always got what you asked for? If the world was always a happy place it would be dull. There would be no great works of art, that’s for certain.”

“Really?”

“The Human world needs turmoil and struggle. It’s the suffering and Human condition that inspires great works of art. Some of the most prized pieces of art in the Fae realms depict Human suffering. But in regards to Hitler or another psychotic dictator: even if the war hadn’t happened there still would have been a massive genocide, or all those victims would have met their end in different ways: I’m seeing more horrible and fiery ways, but my point still stands.”

“Then, if I hadn’t won?”

“I don’t need a third eye to see that. Tobias would have been adopted into a Fae family, raised as a Changeling and eventual full-fledged Fae, and lived much longer. Though, I’m seeing: Jareth, and the boy. Jareth was probably planning to make the child his heir. Child is as stubborn and selective as always,” Ciara shook her head at the hypothetical antics of her ward.

“So,” Sarah chanced, “What could happen if the Goblin King is dethroned?”

Ciara hummed, closing her eyes and focusing, “I see many scenarios. But let’s begin with one a little less gruesome,” she opened her eyes, a deep sapphire in color, and nodded towards the mirror’s surface. Sarah saw the glass ripple and undulate in much the same way it did when she called on her friends. The glass misted over for what felt like an eternity as the Fae nursemaid projected the vision. Finally, the fog lifted to reveal the entire populace of the Goblin Kingdom in chains.

Sarah held back a gasp. The goblins were being treated like prisoners instead of the citizens they were. The fairy swarm she’d seen before entering the Labyrinth was hiding and not daring to venture out from the bulbs in which they took refuge. Hoggle and Sir Didymus, being only slightly elevated in status, were forced to whip the chained up Goblins as they passed by, or be whipped by their overseers instead. Ludo was trapped in a cage, provoked by the Nippers which she had rescued him from before. Inside the castle a dark figure sat upon the throne she’d only briefly seen, twirling crystals about and tossing them into the air, either unaware or unconcerned for the plight of his subjects. The mirror fogged over once more before fading away to the reflective glass.

Sarah turned to speak, but Ciara stopped her, “Wait, there’s more,” she said and urged the young girl to look back into the looking glass.

This time it showed far worse an outcome. The Goblins in this vision were all in various states of starvation, already having consumed their chickens, and no other food to be found. There was nothing to be seen of Didymus save his hat upon his sword like some sort of makeshift memorial. Hoggle had been turned into a statuette. The very Labyrinth itself seemed to be in a horrid state of decay, and not the composed decay Sarah had seen on her journey and was now utterly convinced it was used to make the maze seem more daunting than it actually was. This Labyrinth, on the other hand, had gaps in the huge stone walls from where sections had crumbled away. Debris had become the new flooring as the cobblestones beneath it were unable to be seen. The forests were deathly silent. The outside walls were littered with tiny decomposing carcasses with gossamer wings. Inside the castle, that same dark figure lounged on their throne, uncaring to the death surrounding them. But it was what Sarah saw behind the throne that sickened her the most. A great rust-colored pelt hung from the wall like a tapestry, hung from hooks that looked suspiciously like the former owner’s horns, and fringed with white and tawny owl feathers.

Sarah felt as though she was going to regurgitate her dinner and was immensely thankful she had foregone dessert. The vision faded away, leaving only the reflection of a pale-faced Sarah with an equally as ashen Ciara.

“I,” Sarah struggled to speak past the knot in her throat, “I think I’m gonna be sick,” she said at last.

“And the worst part of that is, that’s only one of the possibilities,” Ciara informed her, “There are countless others, and quite a few of them are far more horrifying than that.”

She backed up and watched the brunette stumble out of the chair, struggling to stay on her feet as she wobbled over to the bed and collapsed against it.

“That is why I beseech you come with me,” she continued, “So that we can avoid the prospect of such a fate.”

“I,” Sarah took a deep breath, “I need a moment to compose myself before we go anywhere or do anything. Okay?”

“Of course,” the Fae replied. She waited as the mortal dry-heaved a few times, watching impassively. After a few minutes, Sarah returned to semi-normal. Ciara walked over to the bed and sat down beside her, grabbing Sarah’s hand and toying with her fingers much like a small child would do when trying to be comforting but not really knowing how.

“Are you ready?” Ciara asked, “I can assure you that reasoning with Jareth, even when he’s not acting like a petulant child, is never easy.”

“I can take anything that glittery jerk can throw,” Sarah said with much more confidence than she felt at the moment, still recovering from that horrific vision.

“Very well,” the Fae replied, rising and tugging Sarah along with her, “Let’s go,”

They left Sarah’s room and crossed the hall into the room that had started everything for Sarah. The master bedroom that had housed Toby in his infant years. Ciara dropped Sarah’s hand once inside the room and flung open the French doors to the balcony.

“Why are we in here?” Sarah asked.

“I thought it might be easier on your currently delicate stomach if we traveled this way,” Ciara replied.

“Easier?”

“Typical whisking away that most Fae prefer can be a bit nauseating for newcomers. And with your face the way it was a few moments ago I thought it would be prudent to simply open a portal. I didn’t wish to clean vomit off my clothing.”

“So why are we in my parents’ room?”

“Easier to open a portal within a doorway than anywhere else,” the nanny explained, “Otherwise it takes a great deal of concentration and power to keep the portal open. Power which I do not possess.”

“Okay….” Sarah said, stretching out the word in skepticism.

“Are you ready?” Ciara asked, holding out her hand as she stood by the doorway.

Sarah nodded, “Ready,” she replied as she grabbed hold and walked forward.

Going through the doorway was not how it had been the last time. Ciara obviously hadn’t been kidding when she said it took a great deal of power and concentration to keep a portal open. This time Sarah felt as though she was traveling through gelatin: her movements halting and taxing. She pushed along the invisible membrane before her, trying to locate an opening she could slip through. She felt Ciara’s hand yank at her own and pull her forward.

They ended up in a room inside the castle, Sarah presumed it was where Ciara was staying for the time being. And while they looked as if they had just come off the terrace, the force of that membrane had sent them sprawling to the ground most ungracefully.

“Ugh,” Sarah groaned as she dusted what felt like residue off her clothes, “What was that?”

“That was the wall between worlds,” Ciara replied, “Only the monarchs have the power necessary to open a clear portal. Sometimes in order to complete a mission a king will pool some of his power into an object that will allow the assigned Fae to open a clear portal like that; however, those instances are far and few between as portals are only really necessary if one is transporting a large group of people. Otherwise we can usually whisk them away without incident.”

“And you didn’t whisk me because?”

“I told you, I didn’t want to spend the rest of the evening having Human vomit cleaned out of my clothes.”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Right…” as she looked around the both foreign and familiar settings a sense of foreboding settled in her bones.

Apparently her reservation showed on her face because Ciara asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Why do I get the feeling I was just severely manipulated into coming here?” she asked in reply.

Ciara, who had settled herself on her bed at this point, buffed her nails and said, “Because you were: and rather expertly too, if I do say so myself.” Her expression was smug, and it really irritated the mortal girl.

Sarah huffed, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

“Save it,” Ciara held up a hand to stop the impending rant, “I’m far too old for it. I know every trick in the book: probably wrote half of them, come to think about it.”

Sarah pinched the space between her brows, “Take me home, now.”

“Why?” Ciara cocked her head to the side.

“Because, I will not be tricked into doing anything,” Sarah replied, “Open the portal back up, or whisk me back to my house, right now.”

Ciara laughed patronizingly, “Sorry Sweetcakes,” she said with incredible insincerity, “no can do.”

“No can do?” Sarah repeated angrily, “Why not?”

“I’m drained from opening the portal,” Ciara replied as though that should have been obvious, “And if you don’t wish to speak to Jareth, you’re stuck here until tomorrow morning at the very least.”

“At the very least?” Sarah questioned.

“Yep,” Ciara answered with a bit of sadistic glee, “See; should you choose not to speak with Jareth, you’re not only waiting on me to regain my energy to send you back: you’re also waiting for me to feel like sending you back. And before you even think of it, the goblins are only allowed to transport themselves from world to world unless specifically authorized to have a guest by the King.”

“So I’m stuck here unless I go and knock some sense into His Nibs, is that right?” Sarah asked.

“Pretty much,” Ciara affirmed, swinging her legs against the side of the bed.

“Out of curiosity, what’s going on anyways?”

Ciara opened her mouth to speak, but sighed instead, “It’s complicated.”

“How complicated?”

“Why do you wish to know?”

“Considering you dragged me here to help it would be a great advantage to know what I’m up against.”

The nursemaid linked her hands together and rest her chin upon them, “My dear Champion, would you care to describe yourself: everything you are, everything you hope to become, in one word for me please?”

Sarah looked at the other woman as though she’d lost her mind, “But that’s impossible!” she exclaimed after a moment.

“Isn’t it?” Ciara said with an indulgent smile, “And why?”

“I’m too complex to be summed up in one word. Most of humanity is.”

“Indeed,” the Fae agreed, “Now, take all the complexity that is a single human being, double it, add ten and welcome to the ever changing complexity that is Fae nature.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Fae, by our very nature, run a different gamut than humans. Our personalities may seem similar upon first glance, but there is so much more beneath the surface. Because of our abilities the great Father bound us to duty. And it’s an important aspect of our culture,” Ciara ran a hand along the length of her braid, “Jareth, Jareth has always been different from others: even among his own family.

“He doesn’t like to be bored, and unfortunately the rutted rituals of the Fae court system tired him very quickly. So he took to the mortal world, where things were constantly in flux. He became fascinated by how different mortals reacted to different things. Some retaining a façade for the sake of appearance, and others wearing their hearts on their sleeves. I honestly believe that if he hadn’t been heir to this kingdom he would have spent the rest of his days drifting between our two worlds.”

“What does that have to do with this situation?”

“Goblins are rather simple creatures: their needs are simple; their wants are simple. Jareth likes a challenge, so you can imagine what it’s like to be trapped in a place that is all simplicity in its running? But, Jareth knows his duty and upholds it. And it isn’t that he doesn’t care for his kingdom, it’s just gotten a bit dull for him is all. That’s why your victory affected him so: the first time in ages he’s been challenged and he failed to rise to the occasion.”

“That’s what this is all about? And you think I can help him?”

“I truly do.”

“Fine,” Sarah sighed in defeat, “Take me to the King.”

Ciara took her arm, and off they went.

************************************

Somehow Ciara managed to navigate the unending twists and turns of the castle hallways and led them both into the throne room. Sarah paused to refocus her vision and saw that as Hoggle had once described to her, the throne room was absolute chaos. Every where Goblins sat, reclined, or just flat out sprawled on the floor. Most were in varying states of intoxication: as an open and almost empty cask of liquor could attest. And, just like last time, there were Chickens in every nook and cranny to be found. There was a general buzz of noise in the air, much like one would find in a cafeteria or other group gathering place, but the noise level was migraine-inducing after just a few minutes: and Sarah had to cover her hands with her ears to block out the noise.

Even in muted suspension, she could not ignore the man lounging bonelessly in the curved throne upon the raised dais. He was tapping a riding crop against a booted calf and staring off into space blankly. His expression was sullen yet impassive, and his eyes were glassy from thought. But otherwise he was unchanged from her memories of him. Sarah turned to the Fae woman.

“Is that how he’s been this whole time?” she asked over the din.

Ciara nodded, “Practically,” what he’s doing right now is channeling his thoughts elsewhere so he can be in two places at once. Helps a lot when you have annoying and preachy people surrounding you,” she frowned, “Of course, it really doesn’t help us with our current situation, you know.”

“Well how do we get him back?”

Ciara grinned conspiratorially, “We could always dump him on his arse, that would bring him back pretty quickly. Don’t you think?”

Sarah shook her head, but couldn’t deny the comedic possibilities that lay in that option, “And the Goblins?” she asked.

“Ah,” Ciara said knowingly; finally noticing the mortal’s discomfort. She stuck her fingers in her mouth and a sharp, ear-piercing whistle rang from her lips. The commotion in the room instantly silenced as all the Goblins turned to look at the two new arrivals. The King, however, remained unresponsive, “Yo!” she cried out in greeting.

“Hey!” cried one, “It’s the Baby-Lady!”

“Baby-Lady!” the others chorused, breaking down into mutters and ramblings.

“An she’s brought the girl!” bellowed another.

“The girl! The girl!” the rabble shouted with joy.

“The girl?” Sarah asked, raising a brow at Ciara, who merely shrugged.

“The girl who ate the peach and forgot everything!” the rabble replied.

“I take it they’re referring to you,” Ciara whispered in her ear.

“Thanks Captain Obvious,” Sarah retorted, “Real helpful. And what about you, Baby-Lady?”

Ciara shrugged once more but said nothing.

A small goblin tugged at Sarah’s pant leg, “Lady?” it asked timidly, “What’s you doin’ here?”

Sarah knelt down to the creature’s level, “I’m here to help, is that okay?”

“How you’s gonna help?”

“I’m gonna get your King back to work,” Sarah replied. The rabble fell silent at that declaration.

“Really?” the little Goblin ventured.

“I promise,” Sarah held out a finger for the creature to take. The little Goblin leapt into Sarah’s arms, nuzzling against her throat, while the rest in the throne room cheered.

“Things not been same since Lady left,” they told her, “King not fun no more, King just sit around and do nothing’. No singin’, no kickin’, no Boggin’. It not fun anymore!” they cried.

Sarah laughed sheepishly, “I’ll see what I can do to fix that,” she told them.

“Hey!” Ciara called. Sarah looked to see her standing behind the King as he gazed at nothing, “Are you ready for this?” she asked, a sadistically gleeful smile stretched across her face. The rabble cheered again, egging on the characteristically uncharacteristic behavior from the Fae.

“Yay!” they cried, “Lift and fly! Lift and fly!”

Ciara lifted the back of the throne, raising the hind legs and sending the Goblin King tumbling to the floor, landing in a most undignified heap.  Ciara laughed, as did the rest of the Goblins. However, it did the trick, and brought his mind and fury back to the castle. He glared at the rabble.

“Alright,” he snarled as he rose to his feet, “Which one of you little ingrates is responsible for this?”

“That would be me, Jareth dear,” Jareth turned to see Ciara perched on the back of the throne, legs folded elegantly and looking like a complete angel. At the moment Sarah couldn’t believe that this was the woman who’d raised the Goblin King –and several of his predecessors- from infancy to adulthood. Ciara waved and Jareth sighed,

“I should have known,” he said, shaking his head and pinching his brow.

“Yes,” Ciara chimed in, “you really should have.”

“What do you want this time?” he asked, tone clearly indicating his exasperation.

“The same thing I’ve wanted since I came here the first time,” his nanny replied.

“Then I’ll adopt the next child that’s wished away so I can get you off my back!” he declared furiously, “Now get off my throne or else!”

“Oooh,” Ciara said mockingly, “What are you going to do then? Throw me in the Bog, like you do any other minor annoyance to you and your whims?”

“It sounds quite tempting at the moment,” Jareth retorted, clenching his fists at his side.

“Ha!” the raven-haired Fae laughed, “We both know you don’t have the power, never mind the bollocks to do that to your caretaker!”

Sarah watched the exchange with confusion, “Are you sure you’re his nanny?” she asked aloud.

That brought Jareth’s attention to her. His jaw dropped for a moment before he whirled on Ciara, “What is she doing here?”

“I brought her,” Ciara said lightly an angelic smile completely belying her mischievous nature.

“I inferred that already,” Jareth replied, “Allow me to rephrase my question: why is she here?”

“Hopefully,” Ciara began, “to knock some sense back into you and get you back to normal.”

“I am fine,” Jareth hissed, “I have no need of the likes of _her_ for anything!”

“Hey!” Sarah cried indignantly, “I’m right here you know!”

“Oh please,” Ciara retorted, ignoring Sarah completely, “You are not fine. You haven’t been fine since the night she beat you at your own game. You’ve been behavior has turned incredibly erratic and despondent. I’m not even sure you _have_ what it takes to be a King anymore.”

“This does not concern you Ciara,” Jareth hissed, “And it most certainly does not concern _her_ either.”

“Don’t like being hoisted on your own petard, do you?” Ciara prodded, “Can’t say I blame you, but this behavior is inexcusable! I raised you better than this, and if I need to bring in some help to have you see the light: so be it!”

“I will not dignify this outlandish behavior with a response,” Jareth seethed, “I am going to send you back to the care of my little sisters and their spawn: and I am sending _her_ home!”

Sarah set the Goblin she’d been holding down and stalked over to the King, tapping him on the shoulder, “Don’t you think I should have a say in whether or not I get sent home?”

“This has nothing to do with you Sarah Williams,” Jareth replied icily, “I will apologize for the inconvenience my former nursemaid has caused by involving you in all this, however I think it’s for the best that you go home and forget all about this,” he turned his back to return to his nanny.

“Oh really?” Sarah raised a brow, “Well let me tell you something: I have to be involved because according to your nanny, you haven’t cared enough about your own kingdom since I left the Labyrinth! You allowed your nanny to put a Goblin Guard on my brother,” she turned to Ciara briefly, “Something I’m _still_ not happy about –by the way- because you are so absorbed in stewing over this blow to your ego you’re neglecting all your duties!”

Sarah took a deep breath and let her words fly, “I _won_ , okay? I beat you fair and square at a game _you_ created. I won even though you cheated at several instances and don’t try to say you didn’t! I’m not sorry I won: and if I had to I’d go back and do it all again. But I am not willing to let my victory blind me to the fact that you are going to get yourself and your subjects killed if this continues. You need to get over yourself and accept the fact that you aren’t the unbeatable monarch you thought you were. Because I’ll be damned if I let any innocent creatures, Goblin or not, suffer because my victory wounded your pride!”

She had jabbed him in the chest several times while ranting at him, forcing him back a step each time. The entire throne room watched on in silence, awed by the mortal who dared to speak to their King in such a way. Ciara looked at the pair with extreme pleasure and interest: happy her plan was working out. Jareth had been too stunned to respond immediately, unlike all the other times Ciara had tried to get through to him where he had retorted with a quip and a threat. She decided to take the opening his floundering was providing.

“She’s completely right you know,” Ciara said, coming to Sarah’s side, “And that was exactly the reason I brought her here. I tried to tell you this myself, but Danu forbid you listen to the one who bathed, changed, and raised you herself.”

Sarah looked at her, “You did all that?”

Ciara sighed, “Noble Fae, like Jareth’s family, are not very big on affection: even with their own children. They leave that to the nannies and nursemaid that can be bought with money. So the task of raising this little hellion fell to me as per my agreement with his ancestors.”

“I’m not little!” Jareth grumbled sullenly.

Ciara rolled her eyes and put her hands on her hips in a matronly fashion, “Honestly Jareth,” she chided, “You are over five-hundred mortal years old. You may not be an old man yet, however that does not give you leave to act like this. You are no longer a petulant child: you are a King and you need to act accordingly.”

“Enough!” Jareth bellowed as he returned to his throne, “I will hear no more of this!”

“Listen to us Goblin King!” Sarah shouted, “We’re trying to help!”

“I have seen into the future,” Ciara added, “And I foretell great suffering if you intend on continuing this behavior.”

“What a surprise!” Jareth retorted.

“She showed me!” Sarah cried, “if you don’t shape up, someone is going to come and takeover the kingdom and they will _destroy_ it! Do you want to see that happen?”

“Please,” Jareth scoffed, “My family is the only Fae family that has ever ruled this kingdom, and unless I die without an heir it will continue to be the only family to rule this kingdom. And do you want to know why? It’s because no other self-respecting Fae _wants_ this place. Can you honestly blame them? You are isolated from all the other major courts, have to rule over simple-minded, chicken-obsessed, subjects, _and_ you have to be the Keeper of the Unwanted: the Guardian of the Lost, the Collector of the Wished-Away. Tell me Sarah, does that sound like a long-term fate you would wish for?”

“I, no,” Sarah answered honestly, “But, the vision. Ciara showed me-”

“I’m certain that any visions my nursemaid showed you were some of the more extreme possibilities. And that is all they are: possibilities, not probabilities, not prophesies. These visions she shows are often select ones she chooses in order to manipulate the viewer of them to her whim. It’s a trick that was well-employed with younger versions of myself and my predecessors,” Jareth replied, “But allow me to guess, the visions she showed you displayed the ruination of my kingdom, the abject enslavement of the Goblins, and the deaths of the ones you hold so dear. Am I correct?”

“How did you-”

“It was the same vision she showed me when first trying to, in her words, ‘talk some sense into me’. She has jumped to her own conclusions about my life and is interfering yet again. As she has stated, I am over five-hundred mortal years old. I do not need my former caretaker lecturing me on how to live my life and run my kingdom! I am through being bossed around by two females who should know better than to stick their noses where it doesn’t belong because of some misguided Hero complex!”

Sarah turned to look at Ciara, “Is this true?” she asked, “Did you show me nothing but an outlandish outcome in the hopes of bringing me here?”

Ciara ignored the girl, “Heed my words Jareth: if you do not clean up your act, someone _will_ come and dethrone you. And you will be left with nothing, not even your pride.”

“Oh yes,” Jareth replied with faux-sincerity, “The visions told you so did they not?”

“However unlikely the situation may seem, all of my visions are possible outcomes. Not one has been false.”

“You let your wild imagination and sense of duty run too far,” Jareth told her, “I do not want nor need your continued interference with the running of my kingdom. You will pack your bags and leave the moment Sarah Williams is sent home.”

“Running?” Ciara asked, “What running? Without me here to act as Regent for you while you were off sulking and skulking about your kingdom would have fallen into ruin ages ago! And I think you forget who you’re dealing with, Jareth,”

“I believe the same could be said for you,” Jareth replied, “Sarah Williams will be sent home, and you will take your leave as well. And that is final!”

“I will not abide by such a command,” Ciara stated just as coolly, “I do not take orders from a King who would let a mortal girl disrupt him so.”

“You have no power to defy me,” Jareth nearly roared.

“Wrong!” Ciara cried, “Just as you were wrong about my visions: you are wrong about this. You are no longer fit to be King! Jareth, I challenge your claim to the Goblin Kingdom’s throne!”


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the game begins and aren't these two fun together?

Jareth, Sarah, and the entirety of the throne room stared at the Fae woman with confusion.

Sarah turned to Jareth, “Can she do that?” she asked.

Jareth did not take his eyes off his nanny, but replied, “I am, unsure. At the very least it’s unheard of.”

“Perhaps if you had spent a bit more time learning about the history of your kingdom rather than having your head in the clouds you would be aware of one little law,” Ciara admonished.

“And that would be?”

“A law put into place for equality between sons. If a current king that has no children is seen as unfit to rule, another with the same qualifications may challenge the ruler’s claim to the throne,” Ciara explained, “I have the same qualifications to rule this kingdom, and Jareth is currently unfit to rule. So I challenge his claim in favor of myself becoming the new Goblin Monarch.”

Just then Jareth felt a tingling at his chest. He reached for the sickle-shaped pendant that was always there only to find it missing. As he and Sarah gazed at the raven-haired Fae he saw it reappear as a silver tiara atop her head. As the silver circlet settled in on her scalp her entire appearance changed. Gone was the stern, yet modest and modestly dressed caretaker his entire family had come to depend on. In her place was a wild Fae: hair undone and feathering about her, dressed in the black armored regalia of the Goblin Kingdom. Even her eyes were more feral than he remembered.

Ciara smirked then, a cruel twist of the lips that neither had ever seen her wear before, “And it would seem the Labyrinth agrees with me. Which means, you should no longer be sitting there,” a twitch of her nose and Jareth flew off the throne and over to Sarah’s side.

Stupidly, Sarah spoke up, “Is that how this sort of thing is decided?”

Ciara raised a brow, “In another kingdom the decision would be handed down from a holy relic of said kingdom. This kingdom’s relic is the Labyrinth itself, and it has agreed that you are no longer qualified to rule. So it appears that I will be officially taking over.”

“No,” Jareth sputtered as he stood to his seat, completely caught off guard by this betrayal, “You can’t do this!”

Ciara tilted her head to the side and laughed cruelly, “Why? Because it’s not fair?” she raised up a fingerlessly-gloved hand and conjured a crystal, “Besides, it would seem I already have.”

“You do not have the right to challenge my claim to the throne,” Jareth pressed on, “You are not a part of the bloodline!”

“Be that as it may, I _am_ , however, part of the family. And it would seem as though the Labyrinth has already decided in my favor. You have no right to order me about any more Jareth.”

“And what will you do?” Jareth snipped, “You know nothing of how to run a kingdom. If those ridiculous visions of yours come to fruition it will be be because you stole my crown and my kingdom from me!”

“Stole?” Ciara laughed, “I stole nothing. It is your own fault for neglecting your duties. However,” she paused, “since you seem so concerned with equality, and I would never have it be said I wasn’t generous: I will give you a chance to win your crown back.”

“How?” Jareth pressed.

“The same way every other matter like this is decided. A game.”

“A game?” Sarah echoed, “You can’t be serious.”

The new ruler smirked, “As the plague my dear. And this isn’t just any game,” her features became sharper with power and sadism, “it’s _the_ game.”

Realization sunk in, “You’re going to make him run the Labyrinth?” Sarah exclaimed, “How is that a fighting chance. You said it yourself, a prospective King needs to solve the maze in order to be considered for the crown. The Goblin King, eh, _former_ Goblin King,” she corrected herself upon seeing the Fae woman’s glare, “knows the place inside and out, doesn’t he?”

Ciara’s amusement refused to cease, “You think there is only one route to the castle? How naïve,” she replied, “Besides, how long ago do you think it was that Jareth ran for the crown? It’s been a good many years that he’s set foot in the Labyrinth for something other than goading runners. Not only that, but the Labyrinth is a creature with a mind of its own: why else did you think its walls shifted and turned. There is no true path to the castle, that’s the fun of it.”

“Very well,” Jareth cut in, “I accept the challenge. Take me to the beginning,”

“I’m not done yet,” Ciara tutted at him, “I’m not about to make this easy on you.”

“Like it could be anymore difficult than you’re already making it,” Jareth retorted.

Ciara rolled the crystal over her arms like Sarah had seen Jareth himself do all those years ago, “You really tempt fate like that,” she chuckled lowly, “it will only come back to bite you. In fact, it already has.”

“How?” Jareth demanded imperiously.

“Because, I’m not letting you run this alone,” Ciara replied, “I will only consider your bid legitimate if your champion takes up the challenge with you.”

“What?!” Jareth and Sarah said simultaneously.

“I explained it to you already, didn’t I? You, Sarah Williams are the Champion of the Labyrinth and it is therefore your duty to defend it. However, since you are Jareth’s champion it falls to you to aid him if he wishes to take back his crown. If you decide not to, very well: this crystal will send you home and Jareth’s bid for the crown will be dismissed, leaving me in charge of the Kingdom. The choice is yours,” Ciara held out the crystal, “You can go home now and end your involvement in this issue. Or, you can aide your King and help him try to win back his kingdom.”

“May I have a word, with Sarah?” Jareth asked before Sarah could give a reply, “Alone?”

“Certainly,” Ciara replied, “Go ahead and return when you are finished. You know the castle far better than I, after all.”

“And hopefully it’ll stay that way,” Jareth muttered as he placed a hand on the small of Sarah’s back and led her away.

They went a little ways down a hallway, far enough away that Ciara and the Goblins couldn’t hear them.

“Alright,” Sarah said when they stopped and faced each other, “What is it you want to talk about?”

Jareth sighed, “See here little girl, you have no business being here. I apologize for my nursemaid’s misguided attempt at ‘helping’ me,” he put the word in quotation marks, “by involving you in this. But there is no need for you to be subjected to such ludicrousness.”

“If I don’t, you won’t be able to run for the throne,” Sarah pointed out, “And seeing as she’s both acting monarch and apparently far more stubborn than you are: I doubt there will be any reasoning with her to otherwise return your kingdom to you.”

Jareth shook his head and scoffed, “Preposterous,” he exclaimed, “Ciara, while an old and revered member of my family, is not capable of claiming a throne. She is not royal by blood, and she has never married into my family; in other words, she is still nothing more than a servant.”

“Really?” Sarah cocked a brow, “Because the way she’s dressed and that tiara on her head say something completely different.”

“I can take an appeal to my Father, to the High Court if necessary. She won’t be able to keep the crown for long whether or not I run the Labyrinth.”

“Goblin King, there’s no way of knowing that will work, and if it will how long it will take to do! There’s also no way of knowing what king of ruler she’s going to be! Are you telling me you’re willing to accept the possibility of letting your subjects suffer who knows what in the interim?”

Jareth refused to meet her gaze, “You do not know Ciara as I do,” he told her, “Agreeing to run the Labyrinth plays right into her hands. I am a man grown and I will not be subjected to her methods any longer.”

Sarah studied him for a long moment. His posture, his expression, and the way he refused to face her were all very telling. He reminded her of Toby when the child was trying to hide something from her. But what could the Goblin King possibly be trying to keep hidden? And what was more, why was he so keen on getting her out of here and avoiding the problem? The Goblin King she knew would have relished the challenge. Wait a minute, that was it!

“You don’t want me to be a part of this because you don’t want to admit you need my help!” she exclaimed with wicked glee as he turned to face her, stunned by her acute observation.

“That’s quite an audacious accusation from one such as yourself!” Jareth protested stiffly.

“But you’re not denying that it’s true,” Sarah countered, “Because you’re a Fae and if lore is to be believed: Fae can’t lie.”

“That’s enough out of you!” Jareth snapped, “We are going to return to the throne room, and you are going to tell Ciara that you decline the challenge you were roped into, and then you are going to go home and pretend none of this ever happened!”

Sarah held her hands up, “Fine, fine. I can tell when I’m not wanted. Let’s go then,” she gestured for him to lead the way back.

“Well, that certainly took you long enough,” Ciara remarked upon their reentrance, “Any more time and I assumed I would have caught you necking in one of the hallway’s alcoves.”

Sarah blushed bright red, “As if!” she scoffed embarrassedly.

“Quite,” Jareth agreed in a clipped tone.

Ciara smirked, “I seem to have struck a collective nerve: I wonder what it could be.”

“Never mind that,” Jareth told her, “Sarah Williams has come to give you her answer.”

“Are you going to let her speak? Or has she magically lost her voice somehow?” Ciara asked in reply.

Jareth glared, but gestured for Sarah to take the lead. Ciara still held the crystal that would take her home expectantly.

“Sarah Williams, Champion of the Labyrinth,” Ciara intoned, “You have been given the choice to aid your King in his quest to regain his crown, or to return home. Which will it be?”

“Regretfully,” Sarah began, “I have chosen to accept the challenge and aid the Goblin King in the attempt to regain his crown,” ignoring Jareth’s sound of protest and outrage she continued, “I will not be sent home unless we lose this challenge.”

Ciara’s face remained impassive, but her eyes were alit with interest. She slowly rescinded her arm and crushed the crystal in her grasp, “Very well,” she conceded, “You have made your choice Sarah Williams, there is no going back now.”

“Sometimes the way forward _is_ the way back,” Sarah said pointedly.

“True,” Ciara agreed, “But not this time.”

“Now wait just a moment!” Jareth bellowed, “I will not be subjected to running the Labyrinth with her!”

“How petulant,” Ciara chided, “But it’s too late for such sentiments and arguments. You already agreed to the challenge before hearing me out. Said is said you know,” she smirked amusedly at Jareth’s fuming expression.

“Come,” she waved her arm and the three of them vanished from the castle.

They reappeared on the long-dead, windswept hill that Sarah had begun her own journey on four years ago. The wind blew through her hair and she stood staring at the castle off in the distance, surrounded by miles upon miles of maze. Glancing off to her side, she saw the Goblin King, dressed in clothes that looked a bit more worn than the ones he’d been wearing when she’d showed up, and looking sullen and moody.

“Now,” came Ciara’s voice from behind her, “You both know how this game works. You will have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth and reach the castle beyond the Goblin City. However, there are a few,” she smirked, “changes I’m making to this particular challenge,”

“You can’t change the rules!” Jareth protested petulantly, crossing his arms.

“Amusing: this coming from the man who cheated his own game several times,” Ciara remarked with royal composure, “Anyways, the rules for your challenge are as follows: you have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth, armed only with your wits and anything you may find within the maze. Jareth, your magical abilities are henceforth suspended for the duration of your run. The challenge begins once inside the maze. In order to win this game, the _both_ of you must make it to the center. The suit will be disqualified if either of you shows up without the other, so I recommend you do your best to stay together. Finally: the game is over if both of you make it to the center within the thirteen-hour limit, or you fail to make it through the maze. If you are stuck at an obstacle for more than one hour, you will be rescued but disqualified and your suit for the crown will be rendered null and void. Any attempts of cheating will result in a time penalty of my choosing,” she looked Jareth squarely in the eye as she disclosed that particular rule, “If you are caught cheating more than three times your challenge will be rendered null and void and your suit will be dismissed. Have I made myself quite clear?”

The two participants nodded silently.

“Good, with full disclosure having been given you still consent to take up the challenge?” again they nodded and Ciara brushed her hands together, “Very well then. Best of luck to you both: it’s far more than apparent you’re going to need it.” And with those final words she unceremoniously disappeared.

Both Jareth and Sarah were left staring at the empty space where Ciara had once been. They chanced a glace at the other, only for Sarah to be met with a glare from the former king.

“Oh, what could you possibly be mad at me for?” she groaned.

“You told me you were going to decline Ciara and return home!” Jareth hissed, “Now, instead of that _far_ more favorable outcome: we have to run this thing in thirteen hours, without my magic, and without cheating!”

“Okay, first of all: I never told you I was going to say no. You ordered me to and I decided not to argue with you about it. Second of all: I ran the Labyrinth in eleven hours if you recall, and I made it just fine without magic or cheating!”

Jareth scoffed, “So you believe,” he retorted.

Sarah raised a brow, “And what’s _that_ supposed to mean?”

“You might have gotten pretty far on your own, but you never would have made it without my interference,” Jareth claimed arrogantly.

“Who do you think sent Hogbrain into the Oubliette to retrieve you? Who do you think left that rock troll where he was when I could have easily put him back where he belonged?”

“Probably the same guy who took two hours of my time limit just to spite me, sent me and Hoggle hurtling into the Bog, forced him to give me an enchanted peach, _and_ set his entire army on me to keep me from winning,” Sarah spat at him.

“Be that as it may,” Jareth countered, “Do you really think that you would have made it out of the oubliette without Hogwash there to save you?” at Sarah’s bitter silence he nodded, “That’s what I thought.”

Sarah groaned, “Why? Why would you interfere like that?”

Jareth narrowed his eyes at her, “Don’t think yourself too special,” he told her, “It is what is done with every runner that makes it thus far. They get trapped and get sent back to the beginning: a fate you would and _should_ have shared had you not bribed the little scab.”

“His name is Hoggle!” Sarah shouted back at him, “And I know you know that.”

The Goblin King raised one elegant brow, “You think so? And, praytell, how would you know?”

Sarah smirked, “In the tunnels, under the Labyrinth. I heard you say his name, more than once.”

“True,” Jareth conceded, “But that was only after he shouted it to the high heavens.”

“Then you proceeded to get it wrong again, simply because you knew it would irritate him,” Sarah continued.

“If that is what both you and he wish to believe I will not argue with you,” Jareth brushed the argument aside, “However, I need to get going. Standing here burning daylight is not going to help me win my throne back. And if you believed the Labyrinth to be any sort of challenge during your run, you definitely would not want to run it at night,” he began walking away, leaving Sarah up on the hill.

“Hey wait!” she called, running after him, “Remember what your nanny said? We have to do this together or it won’t work.”

“Why she chose to saddle me with dead weight, I’ll never understand,” Jareth shook his head as he reached the outer wall and began scanning for the hidden entrance.

“Well aren’t you a veritable ray of sunshine this fine day.”

“You would be too if you’d had everything you’re responsible for ripped out from under you.”

“Actually I would. No more responsibilities? That sounds awesome!”

“Be that as it may, it is a matter of pride. I have none as a King, as a Fae, or as a man if I simply let my former nursemaid usurp me without even attempting to fight back.”

“Is that what you were going to call running home to mommy and daddy and hoping they would fix it for you?”

“When did I say I’d go running home to mother?”

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but was that not you who not ten minutes ago told me that I should have myself sent home because you were going to take this matter to your father, and even the High Court if necessary?”

“Touché. But that doesn’t matter now. I’m here and I intend to win back my kingdom, with or without you.”

Sarah let out a shrill noise of exasperation and then sighed, “Look your highness, it’s more than obvious we don’t remember each other fondly. But for the sake of your kingdom, for the sake of your people we need to work together.”

“Ah,” Jareth said knowingly, “I should have realized that it was your heroine complex in action when you agreed to this lunacy.”

“Heroine complex?” she sputtered angrily as she continued to trail after him.

“Of course,” Jareth replied lightly, still looking for the gate, or at the very least the gatekeeper, “Your need to be the hero of every fairytale. To save the damsel and defeat the dastardly king who stands in your way. You would rather die trying than simply watch another person in peril.”

“Alright that’s it!” Sarah grabbed hold of one of his shoulders and spun him around to face her, “I’ve already had enough of this crap from you. I am nineteen years old now: not a child any longer and I expect you to treat me as such.”

“Not a child?” Jareth raised a brow and smirked mockingly, “You certainly had me fooled, the I I remember acted far more maturely than you are now.”

She made a choked sound of fury, wanting very much to strangle the Fae before her.

“Shh,” Jareth put a gloved finger to his lips, “Do you hear that?” he asked.

Sarah calmed down enough to open her ears, “I don’t hear anything,” she answered.

“Precisely,” Jareth answered, “There is no one along this wall but us two. That is not how this game begins.”

“And how does it usually?” she quipped.

“You meet with the gatekeeper, your little dwarf friend, and he tasks you with your first challenge.”

“You mean, asking the right question?” Sarah replied.

“Precisely,” Jareth answered, “However, your little friend is not here. And, mysteriously enough, neither is the swarm.”

“The swarm?”

“The swarm of Fairies that live in the flowers along the wall. You should know who they are: if I recall correctly one bit you shortly before you entered the Labyrinth.”

“Right,” she replied, “So where are they?”

“I haven’t a clue, but without them and the dwarf I see no conceivable way of getting inside.”

“Well, we have to figure something out!” Sarah shouted, “I’m not going to spend the rest of my foreseeable future wandering around the outside of the Labyrinth with you!”

“No one is asking you to!” Jareth shouted back.

“Without me, you have no hope of getting your crown back!” Sarah accused, “And who do you think is going to suffer? I bet you think it’s only yourself!” she sighed, “Look Goblin King, I know we were on opposite sides the last time I was here. And disregarding the whole heroine complex thing you seem to think I have, I still want to help. I don’t want to see your Goblins suffer, I don’t want to see my friends suffer; I don’t even want you to spend the rest of your life trying every other way imaginable to get your kingdom back and failing.”

Jareth looked at her oddly, “You really mean that?” he asked.

Sarah nodded, “I do, so even though I still have major issues with you: I’m willing to form a temporary truce for the good of your subjects. So what do you say?” she held out her hand as a proverbial olive branch.

Jareth stared at the limb, and its owner, for a good thirty seconds. Finally, and quite reluctantly, he took hold of it, “Truce,” he agreed.

“Good,” she replied, “Now, how do we get into this Labyrinth?” she pondered aloud. From off to her left there was the creak and groan of an ancient wooden door. She and Jareth glanced at each other a moment before backtracking. Now, the gate to the Labyrinth lay open innocuously, as though it had been there the whole time and Jareth and I had simply failed to notice it.

“Okay…” Sarah drew out the word, “That was weird,”

“Quite,” Jareth agreed, “but helpful nonetheless. Now, let’s get this godforsaken game over with, shall we?”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Okay, would you like to choose?”

“Which way did you choose when you came this way?” Jareth asked in reply.

“I went right; do you think we should go left instead?”

“Hard to say,” Jareth replied, “The Labyrinth has a mind of its own, so the way to the center often changes with it. What worked before may not necessarily work now.”

“Okay well, just for the sake of finding something familiar, let’s go right,” she suggested.

Jareth tossed his head, but merely shrugged and said nothing in return. They wandered down the seemingly endless path, stepping over and around glitter-dusted debris. All the while, Sarah kept a sharp eye out for that one little hole she’d stumbled across before.

“Question of curiosity,” she said as they meandered about with no sense of purpose in direction.

“Besides that first one?” he saw her frown and got to the point, “And what would that be?”

“Why is everything in this place glittery?”

Jareth shrugged, “Honestly, I have no idea. It was like this when I inherited the kingdom. If anything my predecessors were the garishly tacky decorators.”

“But you’re just as sparkly as anything else in this place,” I pointed out, “Perhaps more so.”

She saw him frown, “I resent that. I do not _sparkle_ ,” he spat out the word, “I am a King, my appearance is dignified and regal.”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Yeah, because I’m so sure that skin-tight breeches and shirts open to the waist are standard court attire.”

“So you admit you’ve been looking,” Jareth said with a superior grin, My, my, what a naughty little girl you are Sarah.”

“I said nothing of the sort,” Sarah argued back, flushing slightly as she did so, “It’s just, well: it’s something that’s hard not to notice when you’re practically shoving it in everyone’s faces!”

“Trust me Sarah,” he practically purred, “If I’d been shoving anything in your face, you would have known. What’s more, you would have enjoyed it immensely.”

“Eww,” she made a sound of disgust, “This is so not the time for come-on’s and double entendre’s Goblin King. We have a castle to get to, remember that?”

“Of course I do my dear. But my question remains: if not now, then when Precious?” he asked in reply.

Sarah half-huffed, half-sighed but chose to ignore the baited sentence, “Isn’t there some sort of an opening we’re supposed be looking for? Because going in a straight line forever isn’t going to help either of us.”

“Really?” came the King’s sarcastic voice, “I never would have thought otherwise.”

“Oh shut up! Where is that damn worm?” she shouted in frustration, “He should be here!”

“Would you be talkin’ ‘bout me per’aps?” came a little voice from down by their calves. I looked in the direction of the vocals and instantly spotted the little blue worm with his orange scarf among the grungy stones. He wiggled in an odd way that the two runners took to mean a hello.

“There you are!” Sarah cried happily, crouching down to talk to the worm, “We’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“An’ ‘o’s this we yer talkin’ ‘bout?” the worm asked in reply, “I don’ see anyone but you, missy.”

“Me and the Goblin King,” she said as though it should have been obvious. Jareth crouched down to approach the worm as well.

“Don’ see wot you mean by a King, but I guess I’ll take yer word for it. So, ‘ave you decided to come inside for a nice cuppa tea? I’ll let the missus know to put a fresh kettle on.” He began to wriggle himself around and head back into his hole.

“Wait!” Sarah called, “We’re not here for tea today, we need to get through the Labyrinth. Is that opening you told me about last time still here?”

“I don’t see why it shouldn’t,” the worm replied, “Now, if you’ll excuse me it’s almost time for tea. Goodday!” he said in farewell as he returned into the hole he’d come out of.

Jareth and Sarah simply stayed balanced on their haunches, staring at the spot the worm had just vacated. Something about what the worm had said puzzled her. She turned to Jareth,

“Goblin King,” she began tentatively as they both rose, “what did the worm mean by not seeing a king? You were right there; he should have recognized you.”

Jareth merely growled in return and turned away from her, staring at the wall of the opening instead.

“Goblin King?” she prodded, still no answer, “Goblin King! Tell me what the worm meant this instant or I’m leaving you here on your ass and going home.”

Jareth turned to her, still looking a little temperamental, “My sigil,” he finally muttered begrudgingly.

“Your what?”

“My sigil!” he barked, “That little pendant I used to wear? It’s a symbol of my station, passed down from one monarch to the next. All the creatures that reside in the Labyrinth respect the wearer and obey them as master. Now that Ciara’s using it as a crown however, I have no authority in here. Any wild creatures that aren’t Goblins will not stay kowtowed around me or you. They will not take orders, and they will be far more savage than you may remember.”

“More savage?” Sarah echoed, “Why? What do you mean by that?”

Jareth sighed, “As a bit of a boon to prevent and serious harm: all runners that enter the Labyrinth are placed under the King’s protection. The creatures in the Labyrinth that are not subject cannot hurt the runner during their trek, or else they will be put to death. This protection comes in the form of an invisible aura that Humans cannot detect. And yes, I, this is what is done for all runners, and has been since the inception of the kingdom. You needn’t worry about special treatment on that account.”

“So what does that mean for us?” she asked, “I mean: how much danger are we in?”

“Not much more than usual. It simply means that we better be very cautious about where we tread,” Jareth replied, “Else we may face worse than a Fire Gang or a Junk Lady.”

“Okay…” Sarah drawled uncertainly, “Well, the opening the worm told me about last time should still be here. Let me just,” she put her arms out in front of her and walked forward. The hidden recess was still there, and it still had two paths leading in either direction, “All right!” she cheered, “Now, the last time I went: this way,” she turned back to the Goblin King and pointed with her left, “So we could go that way. But I don’t suppose you know where that other path leads, do you?”

“Naturally I do,” Jareth answered haughtily, “In any normal run this path to your right leads straight to the castle: no obstacles, no hazards, simple and efficient. However-”

 “Gee, that would have been nice to know the _first_ time around,” Sarah cut in giving him a sardonic look.

Jareth gave her a smug smirk, “I’m sure it would have. I am equally as sure, on the other hand, that you wouldn’t have taken it too kindly to be denied the baby. Or, as would have been more likely, failed to get past the Goblin Army, or even the giant robot.”

“What do you mean being denied the baby?” the brunette inquired, “If I had taken the straight path I would have gotten to the center of the Labyrinth and won anyways.”

“But your journey would have taught you nothing and your memories would have been reset: causing you to wish the child away once more, and you wouldn’t have had a second chance to retrieve him.”

“So what? My memories would have been altered so that it was as if Toby had never existed in the first place.”

“Not your memories precious,” Jareth corrected, “It’s part of the punishment. Everyone else lives in blissful ignorance: you would have had to live with the soul-consuming guilt for your actions.”

“You seem so sure I would have felt guilty.”

Jareth quirked a brow, “You seem so sure you wouldn’t have. Perhaps it was a mistake for you to have won-”

“Don’t you dare say that!” Sarah growled, “I won fair and square and you can’t retroactively alter what might have been.”

“It was merely a hypothetical train of thought I; you did ask what would have happened had you taken the straight path. But I digress: I will finish explaining if you will give me a chance to finish?”

Sarah spread out her arms and mock-bowed, “Go right ahead,”

Jareth rolled his eyes at her, “ _However_ , that’s far too easy and is not the purpose of running the Labyrinth in the first place. So the worm is placed there to discourage and convince runners to choose the other path and travel deeper and deeper into the Labyrinth,” he explained, “Of course, with Ciara at the helm and the Labyrinth itself bending to her whim I doubt the path’s destination would have remained as such.”

“Well, we should still try it,” she argued, “We’ve got nothing to lose but time, which is gonna happen either way.”

“Sarah Williams taking the easy way out?” Jareth mock-gasped, “I never thought I’d see the day.”

“Well I never thought I’d see the day I’d be willing to help the mighty Goblin King, so shut up and get walking,” she ordered.

“As you wish my Lady,” Jareth half bowed and started down the path with her.

*******************************************

An amused chuckle filled the air as Ciara gazed into the crystal which showed the two runners as they made their way through the walls of the Labyrinth. She was sitting in a redesigned pit: filled with brocade cushions and other draperies that covered the gross and grungy stones that made up the floor. Though no longer armored over, she was still in an entirely ebony ensemble and it was hard to tell where her hair ended and her clothing began.

“My, my, my; how charming is this?” she cooed to no one in particular, though the entire throne room horde stood behind her watching as well. Staring at the image before her she laughed again, the horde hesitantly joining her. She let them have their moment of attempting to please her by copying her actions, but the laughter grew to an irritating grating noise and she wisely cut it off, “Shut up you idiots!” she said sharply. They silenced.

She went back to the crystal, “Isn’t it amusing how they think this journey will be easy?” she asked aloud, laughing as Jareth and Sarah were wandering down the alleged straight path to the castle, “Well my darlings, I believe your _trip_ ’s about to take an unexpected _turn_ ,” at her command: Sarah tripped over a root that had snaked out from one of the walls. As Jareth went to help her to her feet, -only to be rudely brushed aside- the rest of the walls shifted into a sharp left before their very eyes, then forming a three-way fork shortly after.

A giggle full of sadistic glee filled the air as Ciara soaked in the bewildered expressions on her runners’ faces. This whole thing was just too much fun to behold. As she sat immersed in the vision of Jareth and Sarah bickering about which road to take she felt a hand at her shoulder. With a stern glare in place she turned her head to find the weathered old Dwarf Hoggle, behind him Sir Didymus and Ludo.

“We needs to talk with you,” Hoggle said, “Now, yer majesty.”

Ciara waved them off with her free hand, “There’s nothing to talk about. They made their decision and the game has begun; no one can interfere with it now.”

“That’s what we wanted to talk about,” Hoggle argued, “We’re all parta the game, so why’s we here instead of out there where we belong?”

The acting monarch tossed the crystal up in the air over and over again as she rose from her seat. She walked over to a wrought metal stand that appeared to be missing a centerpiece and placed the crystal within it. Then, and only then, did she acknowledge the trio of creatures.

“Because,” she began to explain, “I am acting regent for this kingdom. I make the rules. And it’s not much of a challenge if they have help, now is it? So, I’ve taken every creature that was loyal to Jareth out of fear or respect, and every creature on good terms with Sarah Williams, out of the game. It should be more interesting that way.”

Hoggle shook his head, “Ain’t no good gonna come out of that,” he told her, “Besides, you shouldn’t even be here. When word of this gets around-”

Ciara put a finger to his lips to silence him, “Trust in your Queen, Hoggle. I know what I’m doing.”

Hoggle grumbled a little under his breath, but said nothing.

*******************************************

“I don’t care!” Sarah shouted, “We need to choose a direction and every time we’ve chosen left bad things happen.”

“Pish-posh,” Jareth scoffed, “We’ve chosen left once: that’s no basis for comparison.”

“Don’t care,” Sarah argued childishly, “I’m still not going that way.”

“We’ll be fine if we take the left path. Nothing in here is going to seriously hurt us,”

“I get the feeling my definition of ‘seriously hurt’ and yours are two completely different things,” Sarah retorted, crossing her arms over her chest and tossing her hair flippantly.

“Very well then,” Jareth told her, “You take your own path, I’ll go left.”

“You _can’t_ ,” Sarah reminded him, “We can’t afford to get separated because we both have to show up to the castle in order for this to count. If we separate now chances are one of us will get stuck and the other won’t be able to help,” she groaned, “This is gonna take forever!”

“I could take to the skies and see where each path leads,” Jareth said, putting a finger to his lip in thought.

“I don’t think so your majesty,” Sarah quipped, “Remember? Your magical abilities have been suspended; I think turning into an owl qualifies as magic. So, that’s out the window. Any other bright ideas?”

He glared at her, “A few,” he answered, “however they’ve nothing to do with solving our dilemma and everything to do with ceasing that annoying drivel coming out of your mouth.”

“Oh _I’m_ annoying? This coming from the one who’d show up in the middle of something just to aggravate the situation further.”

Jareth bit down on a gloved appendage pensively. He said nothing in reply, though his eyes darted back and forth between the three paths. Finally, he snapped his fingers: the sound amplified by the hide he wore, “I’ve got it!”

“Got what?” Sarah asked in reply, raising a brow in skepticism.

“This path has been made to throw us off the true course. However, the real one remains here. The other two have simply branched off as an obstacle to us. When we leave, the path will return to its default, as the lone path. I, as a Fae, have the ability to see magic and the magic of the true path will remain.”

“That was a horrible explanation,” Sarah informed him, “However, if it will help us stop wasting time and get us moving again: I’m all for it.”

“Right, step aside,” Jareth pulled her behind him and closed his eyes tight. When he reopened them they were not the eyes of a humanlike creature. These were the avian eyes of a predatorial creature. The pupils of his eyes eclipsed the irises and he saw more than what most creatures of the Labyrinth who’d inhabited it their entire lives could. He could see the magic permeating the air, and he could see which was disturbed and which was not. In the middle and left paths: there were thick clouds of magic in the air, indicating that the walls that made them had been moved from somewhere else. The far right path, by contrast, was clearer than its counterparts: meaning that this was the path they should take.

“Alright,” Jareth said at last, bringing his eyes back to normal and back into focus, “We should take the right path.”

“Are you sure about that?” Sarah questioned.

“Positive,” he affirmed, “There was less magic scattered throughout the air than the other two paths: that’s the path we must go down in order to succeed.”

Sarah shrugged, “Alright, if you say so,” she gave him a sharp look, “However, if this is some sort of a trick or a trap you are _so_ going to get it!” she threatened as she stepped out from behind him and headed towards the far right.

“I wouldn’t expect anything less,” Jareth replied airily as he followed her.

*******************************************

“Hmm, clever Jareth. Very clever,” Ciara praised calculatingly, “However, I’m just getting warmed up. I still have a few other tricks up my sleeve. But, I suppose I’ll let this one _slide_ ,”

*******************************************

The cobblestones beneath their feet slanted abruptly sending Jareth and Sarah hurtling to the ground and sliding down the path uncontrollably. The incline the tiles had taken had them picking up more and more speed the further they went. Unfortunately, the debris that had been lying on the floor before was now attached and immovable. They constantly had to get close and push against the walls in order to avoid the obstacles.

Unfortunately, the Labyrinth seemed to catch on, throwing up new obstacles to confound Jareth, who had been behind Sarah when this ordeal started. It came to a head when the path forked off once more. However, Jareth and Sarah were on opposite walls. Jareth was sliding down the left path while Sarah went careening towards the right. Somehow, both Sarah and Jareth managed to grab hold of a niche in the walls. Using all the strength they possessed they hauled themselves back towards the break off, searching for their partner. Their hands managed to meet as they crossed the tip of the fork and they laced their fingers together.

But, more misfortune seemed to be ready to strike. Neither the Goblin King nor the Champion of the Labyrinth found they could maintain their grip on the wall with just one hand. Still, they refused to let go so that if they made it through the Labyrinth their run would not be dismissed due to separation of the runners. Jareth, weighing more than Sarah, was the first to let his grip on the stones slip: the gravity and angle of the cobblestones pulling him faster. However, since he refused to let go of Sarah: she was pulled up and over the divide, and they were both sent sliding down the left path until they crashed feet-first into a wall. The stones resituated into the flat position they usually maintained, leaving Jareth flat on his back and Sarah on her stomach.

Wearily they got up and dusted themselves off.

“Okay,” Sarah said through her panting, hands braced on her knees, “What do you say we back track and try to find where that other path leads?”

“I’d say that knowing Ciara she’s already cut us off from the shortest path,” Jareth replied. They turned around and sure enough: the walls had already rearranged themselves to block off the path they’d come from.

“Great,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “So I guess we go right then?” she asked indicating the direction the wall curved off to.

“It’s not as though we really have a choice,” Jareth quipped, “Seeing as we crash landed against a corner.”

“True,” Sarah mused, “True. Well anyways: onwards and upwards and all that.”

“Quite right,” Jareth agreed.

They headed off on the path that had been laid out for them. Eventually they ended up at yet another crossroads, but this one seemed more familiar than all the others. Paths lead in every direction. There were multiple sign posts with arrows pointing every which way there was a way to go. The stones making the walls and flooring were lighter and color and considerably less glittery than before.

“I get the feeling I’ve been here before,” Sarah said with a sardonic smile.

“You mean we, Precious,” Jareth corrected, watching as she wandered to the middle.

“What we are you talking about?” Sarah asked without looking at him, “If I recall correctly there was only me at this point.”

“You think you took a step through my Labyrinth that I wasn’t aware of?” Jareth replied with a raised brow.

“Oh? So you were spying on me?” Sarah spun and put her hands on her hips.

“I do the same with many runners,” Jareth replied, thankful that it was somewhat truthful as he could never outright lie.

Sarah made a sound of amusement and rolled her eyes, “Hm, I’m sure you did,” she replied airily, “But why did we end up here? I mean, of all the places, and I’m sure there are many she could have sent us: why here?”

Jareth strolled about, deeply pondering this question, “The only reason I can think of is that she’s trying to teach us something.”

“Really?” Sarah raised a brow, “That’s the _only_ thing you can come up with?”

“It’s a method Ciara absolutely loves to use. Returning the culprit to the scene of the crime, so to speak.”

“And then what?”

“She’d usually put some sort of sticking spell on us to keep us from leaving until we learned our lesson: whatever the lesson was depending on the transgression.”

“What? She’d leave you stuck to the spot until you learned some lesson? How does that even work? Would she be notified to come back after a certain amount of time?”

“No,” Jareth answered, “The magic of the spell was keyed to our own realization of a certain lesson and usually also to our repentance for our action. When we learned the lesson and felt sorry for what we had done we were allowed to move. Sometimes that would take minutes, some times hours, I heard that one of my relatives was stuck in one spot for a whole week. Needless to say, we learned very quickly not to make any overt mischief with physical damages left behind.”

“So what does any of that have to do with us?” Sarah pressed, “There is no crime here. I won the game fair and square: even when you were apparently cheating.”

“Remember, the aim of this entire venture is not to teach _you_ something,” Jareth pointed out, “I do believe that I, on the other hand, am meant to glean something from this misadventure.”

“My question remains: what?” Sarah parried.

“That is not for you to know at this moment,” Jareth replied, “And I suggest we pick a direction, otherwise we’re simply standing here and wasting borrowed time.”

Sarah shrugged, “It’s been four years since I’ve been through this maze, even longer for here. How should I know which direction to take? Besides, someone kept changing my marks during my run.”

“Ah yes,” Jareth said with a smile, “The little Brownies do so hate for their precious roofs to be besmirched by mortal makeup.”

“Brownies? Roofs?” Sarah said, “You mean to tell me that there are creatures that live under the Labyrinth?”

Jareth shrugged, “Is that truly so hard to believe? The Labyrinth is host to all manner of creatures and magical beings. As far as I can recall it was often a place of sanctuary in times of war. Why should it surprise you that the descendants of those who once took refuge here nest where they find it most comfortable? Or that even they would interfere with your progress?”

“Forgive me if I’m not as used to this as you are your highness,” Sarah lashed out in annoyance, “But you seem to forget that I am nothing more than a mere mortal girl: completely ordinary.”

Jareth chuckled smugly, “I am afraid I must correct you on that account,” he told her, tone growing a bit petulant and begrudging, “No mere mortal could have beaten me so thoroughly. According to the Goblins: you are nothing if not extraordinary Sarah Williams.”

“You sound somewhat proud of that fact,” Sarah noted, “Isn’t your reaction to my victory the reason we’re in this mess in the first place?”

“While almost everyone is upset when beaten at their best game: I suppose I am proud, in a sense,” Jareth replied, “If only because it means that you are my equal.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sarah pressed, “How am I your equal? Because I won?”

“The Labyrinth is a tough challenge to succeed at, especially since it tends to change to suit the temperament of the Fae ruling over it. Only a handful of mortals that wish children away with regret ever reclaim them. That was why it became tradition for the first mortal that succeeded at the Labyrinth during any King’s reign became the Champion of the Labyrinth: protector of the Goblin Kingdom.”

“So that means, if the Kingdom is ever in great trouble-”

“You would be called upon to aid it, yes,” Jareth finished, “Now, what’s say we choose a direction? I have a feeling we’ll end up in the same place either way.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Sarah told him, “Alright then, let’s go this way,” she pointed in a random direction and off they went.

The path had many twists and turns. More than once they ended up back at the crossroads and had to choose another avenue of maze. Try as they might, without anything to mark the stones with it was nigh on impossible to take a correct route.

Sarah sighed after the fifth time they ended up back at the crossroads, “This is hopeless,” she said, “We’ve tried just about every path available to us and we keep ending up back here. Are you sure this has to do with some sort of lesson and not because your nanny is sadistic and cruel and enjoys toying with us?”

“While I have to agree with your assessment of my nursemaid, I find fault with your assessment of our situation,” Jareth argued, “This isn’t hopeless yet. We just need to keep searching and keep our spirits up.”

“Oh really?” Sarah raised a cynical brow at him, “Since when is the almighty Goblin King so positive? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you like this.”

“You spent a collective total of two hours with me in the eleven you were here in the Labyrinth, so I wouldn’t be so quick to cast judgment on my character,” he told her, “And to answer your question: since my kingdom is at stake and I’ve been all but forced into this ridiculous game of my nursemaid’s and I therefore can’t afford not to be,”

Sarah rolled her eyes and suppressed a laugh, “Okay then, if you say so. Now, I remember the last time I came across a dead end, then backtracked and another dead end had turned into something else.”

“Yes, it brought you to the Ruse Guards,” Jareth added, “The only problem I foresee is that dead end changes places quite often.”

“I know I’m backtracking all previous personal development by saying this: but I really don’t think any of this is fair,” Sarah said.

“Do you still recognize that even though not everything is fair, it simply the way things are?” Jareth asked in reply.

“Of course,” Sarah was quick to answer, “Once a lesson is learned it can’t be unlearned. That’s the way the world works.”

“In this world I would beg to differ, but as far as the mortal world is concerned you are quite correct. And therefore, I would say that since you recognize that the world isn’t, nor will it likely ever be _fair_ personal growth and development has not been lost on that account.”

“Have you always been so,” Sarah searched for a word, “Amicable? You weren’t like this the last time I was here,” she pointed out.

“True,” Jareth agreed, “But I was doing nothing more than living up to your expectations of me, as I had told you before.”

“Ah yes,” Sarah rolled her eyes and dropped her voice in an imitation of his, “‘Everything you have wanted I have done.’ How could I forget?”

“You seem to have done so with ease,” Jareth replied icily as he swept away down the last path the remembered not trying already.

“Hey!” Sarah called in irritation as she ran after him, “Are you trying to lose this?”

“Of course not,” Jareth said without looking back at her.

“Well, it doesn’t seem like it the way you’re so quick to leave me at the drop of a hat,” she told him, “I thought we had agreed to a truce for the sake of the kingdom.”

“As did I,” Jareth replied, “However, that was obviously before you brought up the more, _unsavory_ side of our shared history.”

“Unsavory?” Sarah shook her head in confusion and exasperation as she caught up with his pace, “That’s what you want to call it? And why are you upset about it anyways? If anyone should be upset by our past it should be me!”

“You demand to be treated as a hero and an adult, yet you are so quick to act the child and the victim,” Jareth accused her, “You are either an adult or a child, Sarah. There is no in-between.”

“Says the former King of a fantasy land,” she quipped, “Just what are you implying anyways?” Sarah arched a brow.

“I’ve had the child stolen from me, I lost two hours, I was betrayed, I forgot the first rule of fairy tales yet I’m blaming the villain for all of these things instead of accepting my fate and moving on,” Jareth whined in a poor imitation of her voice.

“Hey!” Sarah said sharply, “I do not sound like that!”

Jareth laughed darkly, “Does vocal accuracy really matter? You humans all sound the same, and all sing the same song. Woe is me: every bit of misfortune in the world always happens to me and I’ve never done anything to deserve it.”

“Ugh!” Sarah groaned in frustration, “Could you be anymore annoying? That’s not even a fair accusation!”

“Yer right, it’s not fair!” a voice from their right cut in. Sarah and Jareth stopped, attention drawn to the recess of the wall that now housed the Ruse Guards and their puzzle doors.

“But that’s only half of it!” chimed the other while the bottom two laughed.

“At least we found them,” Sarah said with a sigh of relief.

“Indeed,” Jareth muttered as he strolled over to them.

“So,” said the red guard, “Since you’ve already been here: you already know the rules. The only way out of here is to try one of these doors: one leads to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth, and the other one leads to certain death.”

“One of us always tells the truth: one of us always lies,” added the blue, “And you can only ask one of us.”

“Yes, we’re well aware of that,” Sarah answered, unable to keep her irritation with the Goblin King out of her voice.

“Alright then, ask your question,” the guards said simultaneously.

“What does it matter?” Sarah said to Jareth, “The door that’s safe is the same one no matter who the knave and who the knight is right?”

“Not necessarily, and I wouldn’t put it past Ciara to have changed the doors around just to spite us,” he replied tersely, “That’s why it’s important to figure out which one the knight is. However,”

“However what?” Sarah pressed.

“There’s no telling whether what they say is the truth at all,” Jareth finished, “They could both be telling the truth, or both lying: as they explain the rules together. Or, it could be as they say and one could always tell the truth and one could always lie.”

“Well, they said we could only ask one of them,” Sarah reasoned, “Do we only get one question?”

Jareth nodded in their direction, “It’s not about the puzzle, so you both may answer.”

The top guards looked at each other warily before conferring with the lower guards. The lower ones decided to answer, “You may only ask one question,” they announced.

“So how are we going to figure this out?” Sarah asked, “They didn’t seem to really understand the question I asked the last time, but we only get one chance to both figure out who the liar is and which door leads to the castle. Have any bright ideas your gloominess?”

“We could always do something that would identify the liar without asking a question,” he replied after a moment of thought.

“Like what?” Sarah asked, “Wait, are you suggesting injuring them or something? Because that is not okay. I am not going to let you hit them to find out who the liar is Goblin King.”

“That bleeding heart of yours is going to impede us in more ways than one on this journey, and it is like to get you in serious trouble someday,” Jareth said lowly as he glared at her. Sarah refused to budge in her decision against bodily harm and Jareth threw up his hands, “Fine, we’ll do this another way.” He crouched down to the heads facing upside-down, “You two,” he said. The heads looked at him cautiously, “You obviously know which one is the knight and which one is the knave. Tell me: who is the knight?”

“What?” they asked.

Jareth sighed in exasperation, “Which one always tells the truth and which one always lies?”

“Oh,” they said in realization.

“He be the knight,” the blue one said nodding to the upper half.

“And he be the knave,” the red one added, nodding to his respective half.

“There,” Jareth said as he straightened up and turned to Sarah, “That wasn’t so difficult was it? Though hitting one of them would have been a great deal faster,”

“Is that allowed?” Sarah asked, both concerned and skeptical at the method the king had used.

Jareth shrugged and turned to the guards, “Is that in the rules?” he asked them.

All four heads looked at each other and conferred between themselves for a few moments, “Ah no,” one of them said at last, “It’s never been in the rules, because nobody’s ever tried that before.”

“Okay,” Sarah drew out the word with her uncertainty, “So, since you’re,” she nodded to the blue guard, “the one who always tells the truth, tell me: which door leads to the castle at the center of the Labyrinth?”

“It is the red door that leads to the castle,” he answered, “My door leads to certain death.”

“Alright then, that’s the door we’ll take,” Sarah said matter-of-factly, “Come on Goblin King, we’re burning daylight.”

“Really?” Jareth retorted, “Never would have guessed you wanted to take the door that _didn’t_ lead to certain death. Who knew you wanted to get through the Labyrinth alive?”

“Shut up, or I’ll hurt you,” Sarah warned as they passed through the door and headed down the path ,“Hey wait a minute,” a thought occurred to her, “Was the blue door always the door that lead to certain death?”

“Sometimes,” Jareth replied, “Sometimes not. The Labyrinth has a mind of its own and often likes to switch which doors lead where every now and then. The answer to that riddle is known to only the Labyrinth, the King, and the Ruse Guards.”

“But,” Sarah protested, “I mean: when I came through here, four years ago. Was the blue door the one that lead to certain death? Did I choose wrong back then? Or was the Oubliette for something else?”

“Why do you wish to know?” Jareth asked, “It bears little on the matter at hand. You won regardless, so don’t bother asking about things in the past.”

“I want to know,” Sarah pressed, “And you can’t lie, so you need to answer me. Did I choose the wrong door that time?”

Jareth stayed silent a moment longer as they walked down the path a little further, but eventually sighed, “The answer is-”

*******************************************

Ciara maintained a steady eye on the progress of the Fae and the Changeling as they made their way through the Labyrinth. When they came to the Ruse Guards she had her doubts, but they had managed to solve it. However, there were still things to be done in the interim. It was no fun if the game ended too quickly.

“Clever Jareth, clever indeed,” she remarked as she watched them pass through the door leading to the castle, “But that little loophole is something that needs to be remedied for future occasions, and is something I need to pass judgment on,” she put a finger to her lips in contemplation and tapped them repeatedly: making a show out of a deliberation she’d already finished, “And I call: guilty!” she decreed.

The goblins cheered and cried at the same time, raising the noise levels once more.

“Quiet!” Ciara boomed, returning to the vision in the crystal, “Now that we have established such behavior is cheating, you two will need to be _punished_ ,” with a snap of her fingers a trapdoor opened up underneath their feet and sent them plummeting into darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Discussions, discussions and more discussions

Just as the Goblin King was about to answer her question, Sarah felt the ground beneath her feet give way. Her brief look of horror was all she could manage before they fell into darkness. After a brief moment of nothingness Sarah blearily rubbed her eyes and tried to will the enormous dark spot over her vision away. As time passed and the darkness refused to go anywhere Sarah realized that she was in a dark space. memories of what happened mere moments before began flooding her, and she deduced that she was probably in another one of the Oubliettes Hoggle had briefly talked about the last time she’d been here.

Sarah felt around figuring out however she had landed, it had ended with her in a heap on the floor of the miniature dungeon. Her hands moved about, trying to find purchase in the earthen floor and help her sit up. However, her arms were suddenly feeble, and shook violently as she attempted to push herself into a sitting positon. When she had somewhat accomplished this small goal her head began to spin and she groaned at the throbbing pain that had decided to begin assaulting her. It was so painful she nearly crashed back into the floor as her arms practically gave out beneath her.

“Sarah?” She heard the Goblin King call out in the darkness. She was unable to do more than groan again in response.

As she lay on the dirt floor she was aware of the sounds of movement coming from somewhere else in the Oubliette. The Goblin King, he must have been searching for her. Before she knew it the sounds grew closer and closer to her. Hands tentatively made their way across her body, searching for her head and immediately moving away if they came across something she would have slapped him for touching otherwise. Sarah didn’t have the energy to protest at the moment. They reached her forehead and appeared to be checking for signs of damage.

“Are you alright?” he asked softly, continuously prodding at her temples and checking for swelling.

“I’ve been better,” she replied, rising with the help of his hands at her shoulders, “But what I’d like to know is why we’re in an Oubliette, again. We chose right this time!”

“I’m going to say this one more time,” Jareth said, though whether the exasperation in his tone was directed at Sarah or Ciara she could not tell, “Any time something happens unexpectedly during our run it is almost certainly the work of my nursemaid. She’s abusing the power of the crown for her own personal,” he cut himself off, “Well, I haven’t quite figured out if it’s for gain or amusement but my point stands.”

“At any rate,” said Sarah, “how are we supposed to get out of here?”

“I could not tell you,” Jareth answered, “This Oubliette has no visible door or cracks in the wall that would suggest one.”

“Oh,” she sat in silence for a moment before, “Hey wait, how do you know all that?”

“I can turn into an owl Precious,” he chided gently, “Seeing in the dark is not that difficult.”

Sarah felt her face flame in anger at the fact that he could see perfectly well and had still taken the opportunity to feel her up whilst claiming impaired vision. He was incredibly lucky she couldn’t see in the dark or he would have been on the receiving end of a red, hand-shaped mark on one of his cheeks. She scooted as far back from him as she could before her back hit a wall.

“Sarah?” he said, and she could almost imagine him cocking his head to the side inquisitively at her actions, “Why did you feel the need to move away?” he asked.

“It was either that, or probably injure myself trying to slap you your handsyness,” she retorted.

“What do you mean by that?”

“I thought those wandering hands of ours when you were searching for me were because you couldn’t see anything. And instead moments after you practically admit you were copping a feel because you can see in the dark. What is _wrong_ with you!” she all but screeched.

For some reason she felt the temperature of the Oubliette drop a few degrees and she just knew he was unjustly glaring at her.

*******************************************

“What an interesting development,” Ciara remarked as she set the crystal in its holder in one side of the throne room so that everyone could see, or rather hear, what was going on.

“Why are ya subjecting us to this?” Hoggle demanded, “Why are ya subjecting _Sarah_ to this? You know she don’t like ‘im.”

“No,” Ciara replied measuredly, “I know _you_ don’t like him. Sarah on the other hand: well it’s incredibly complicated.”

“How so?” Didymus inquired, “My Lord and My Lady care for one another do they not?”

Ciara nodded, “I believe so on Sarah’s end. And as for Jareth, he’s made his feelings about the girl abundantly clear: at least to any other Fae watching his behavior.”

“Then where is the issue?” Didymus pressed, “If they both harbor feelings for one another, what is impeding their courtship?”

“Jareth has been paying her court as he would any other female of his social circle. The trouble is that Sarah Williams is not one of those girls, which is part of the reason he’s so besotted with her even if he won’t admit it. However, it also means that his usual tactics will not work on her: a fact that frustrates him to no end and also causes a great deal of friction between the two of them. Then, there’s the matter of the peach…”

Hoggle grimaced at the mention of the gift he’d been forced to give his friend.

“My sentiments exactly,” Ciara agreed, “Even if Sarah should have known better than to eat the peach, the point was that he gave her a hallucinogenic fruit to try and derail her from her quest. That was a tactic that hasn’t been employed in centuries, and even then it was only employed to adults who had wished their children away foolishly. That was a folly on both Jareth and Sarah’s parts. But it’s still a point of contention between them, among other ‘transgressions’ he’s committed against her in her opinion.”

“Like what?” Hoggle asked.

“The army, for one thing,” Ciara replied.

The trio looked aghast, “Don’t she know it was all part of the game?” Hoggle’s face belied his confusion with his friend.

“She’s aware of it, but I don’t really believe it has sunk in. There’s also the matter of the Cleaners, and the alleged abduction of the child in the first place. Sarah has some things to learn, as does Jareth. The only way to resolve these issues is for the two of them to face them head on and discuss them.”

“And how do you suppose they go about doing that?” Hoggle scoffed, “They can’t be in a room together without arguing.”

“They’re trapped in a pitch-black Oubliette for the foreseeable future,” Ciara replied, “Nothing to do but talk once they’ve realized there’s no easily accessible route of escape.”

“Yer gonna leave them in there for who knows how long?” Hoggle exclaimed.

“Not forever Hoggle,” Ciara was quick to assure him, “When they’ve worked out some of their issues the door will open and they will be free.”

“But was that a wise decision in light of the fact that they have less than ten hours to complete the journey or else Sire will have to forfeit his Kingdom to you?” Didymus asked.

Ciara merely gave a coy smile and waved her hand. The clock in the throne room ceased its ticking, “Until they leave the Oubliette they are in a, what’s the mortal expression, a time out. After all, I can afford to be a little generous with them.”

“Still don’t understand what ye’re doin’ in the first place,” Hoggle grumbled, “Y’don’t even want-”

“Hush,” Ciara put a finger to her lips, “I know what I’m doing Hoggle. You know that better than anyone.”

“I do,” the Dwarf conceded, “Don’t mean I gotta like it.”

*******************************************

“What is wrong with _me_?” Jareth almost growled, “What is wrong with _me_? Perhaps the better question to ask, Sarah, is what is wrong with you.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sarah asked pointedly.

“What I mean is that perhaps you should take a good look at yourself and your own actions before you decide to cast stones at me. Or did you honestly believe that you have always been free from any fault in any of our dealings?”

“Of course not!”

“Oh really? What would you call your victory then? What did you accomplish?”

“I beat you at your silly little game! That’s what I call it.”

“Then perhaps you would care to recall that self-righteous little monologue you proclaimed towards the end of your journey?”

“Through dangers untold, and hardships unnumbered I have fought my way here: to the castle beyond the Goblin City, to take back the child that you have stolen-”

“Of course, you took back the child _I stole_. Never mind the fact that I had nothing to do with that little event or that you handed him over to us on a silver platter!”

“I did no such thing!” Sarah exclaimed vehemently, “You and your creepy Goblins were-”

“You said the words Sarah,” Jareth hissed, “You wished that the Goblins would come and take your brother and they did. Then you have the gall to claim he was stolen from his bed?”

“I didn’t think they’d work!” she protested.

“Said is said in my world Sarah, whether you meant it or not you said the words and allowed us all in. So put the notion out of your mind that I or any of my subjects _stole_ the child you reclaimed.”

“I,” she paused, being unable to think of an argument to refute his claim, “Okay, so you’ve got me on that one,” she was sure he was grinning smugly when something he said sunk in, “Wait, you said you had nothing to do with Toby being taken. Then why were you there?”

“To deal with the aftermath,” he replied, “You said the right words which allowed my Goblins to take him from you. You wished for the Goblins, not their King, so I am free from blame in that respect. I was there to offer you either restitution for the baby you gave up, or the chance to win him back. And you know how the rest of the story goes.”

“Be that as it may there are still several other issues I have with you.”

“Well,” he said after a beat of silence in which she refused to expand on her accusation, “Go ahead. There’s no visible doors in here, nor any airshaft I can find to make bigger for an escape. We have nothing but time on our hands: might as well have you get everything out in the open so we can resolve it and move on.”

“We don’t have time, Goblin King,” Sarah reminded him, “We’re racing against the clock, remember?”

“Ha,” he gave a bitter laugh as he settled in where he was, “I sincerely doubt that. It’s far more than likely she’s paused the game for the entertainment of this. In fact, I don’t doubt this was Ciara’s plan from the very beginning.”

“What do you mean by that?” Sarah brought her arms to wrap around her knees.

“Is it not obvious?” he asked in reply, “She wanted to trap us together, remember what I said about returning to the scene of the crime? No doubt the exit to this particular Oubliette won’t appear until something is resolved between the two of us.”

“How can you be so sure?” Sarah pressed, “There’s evidence for such a claim.”

“Because,” Jareth explained, “Ciara is a creature of habit when it comes to her charges. Her techniques very rarely need adjustment, and there is a whole hidden section in the Castle’s library dedicated to the journals of former monarchs and their dealings with her. My father saw to it that I was very educated on the subject of my nursemaid in case she decided to intervene in my adult life. Seems he was correct in such an assumption,” another bitter chuckle escaped.

“This doesn’t change a thing,” Sarah said, “Not even telling you about all your transgressions against me will make my memories of you any less horrible.”

“Did you ever think, Sarah, that I was merely living up to your expectations of me?” his voice was an odd mixture of anger and resignation, “Giving you everything you wanted even as you kept demanding more and more out of me without ever realizing it?”

“Oh, so we’re returning to this yet again,” Sarah snipped in irritation, “Alright: enlighten me Goblin King. How was your behavior living up to my expectations?”

“You wanted a break from the mundane world you were forced to live in: I granted you that. You asked that the child be taken, so I took him. You cowered before me expecting a villain and an adversary: so I was everything you wished for in one.  You wished for an adventure of a lifetime and I delivered. So much, so much I have done to live up to the grandiose fantasies you had of Fairy Land, of _me_! Your entire journey through the Labyrinth was tailor-made for you!” he was panting with the exertion of his fervor, “Tell me now that everything I did was not in order to live up to the expectations you had for me and everything else!”

“Do you honestly think me so a horrible king? So horrible a man?” his voice sounded broken, “I have always done what was expected of me, even taking the kingship in the first place. I didn’t want it, who would? But I did it anyways because that’s what’s expected of the heir. And so, I’ve tried my best to keep the Kingdom together. Goblins need a very, very stern hand or else they’d run amok and cause chaos everywhere they went. I am firm, but not a cruel and vicious ruler. I’d have been evicted from my throne far earlier if that were the case.”

Sarah felt a little scared for some reason. He seemed so desperate for her to believe his efforts had been for her, and for her to appreciate them. Common sense told simply to play to his ego, whether she believed it or not. But for some reason she needed him to see her side of this whole argument. Tentatively, she crawled forward from the wall she’d been leaning against and reached out to him, placing a cautious hand on his arm.

“I was fifteen,” Sarah argued resignedly, “I made one stupid wish: never mind that others my age made even stupider wishes and fantasies, and I had my world turned upside down. How would you have felt if something like this ever happened to you?” she gave a bitter breath of laughter, “What am I saying? You wouldn’t have felt anything like the way I felt, you’re too different.”

“Different? I am a man, like any other.”

“No you’re not,” Sarah sighed, “I can’t believe we’re even having this conversation. Goblin King, you wouldn’t feel the same way I did when I made that wish because you’re not like me. You’re not even human you’re,”

“A Fae?”

“Exactly. You’re nothing like anything or anyone else I’ve ever experienced. I’ll be the first to admit: you frightened me, in more ways than one.”

“But did you not wish to be frightened?” Jareth pressed.

“I wanted a villain, no,” she shook her head, “I wanted an antagonist: someone who would both challenge and indulge me. I suppose in that respect you did live up to my expectations. But, I was fifteen. I was nothing more than a child.”

“You were not a child then,” Jareth argued, “A mere child would never have solved the Labyrinth Sarah. And I speak from watching far too many try. And forgive the indelicateness with which I speak, but there are subtle differences between a Human child and adult a Fae can pick up on.”

“Maybe by Fae, medieval, whatever standards you were raised with I might not have been a child. But where I’m from, you aren’t considered an adult, and for that matter treated like one, until you turn eighteen. I was more childish than anyone else my age by my society’s standards. What self-respecting teenager plays dress-up in the park? What self-respecting teenager reads fairy tales and has her room decorated with art prints instead of their celebrity crush? For some reason I wasn’t into all that sort of stuff. I guess, I suppose some of it stems from my mother,”

“The one who constantly left you in charge of the baby?”

“No, she’s my step-mother,” Sarah answered, “My real mother left when I was only ten years old to pursue her acting career. She was successful, and I idolized her. But the timing of her departure left me a bit in the lurch. When I started school that year I noticed everyone seemed to be in a rush to grow up. No one cared about recess and playing out on the playground anymore: all the other girls seemed to care about was shopping and gossiping about which boys they thought were the cutest. I once caught a couple making out behind the school! Ten years old and Frenching? I couldn’t believe it. It was frightening because I had no one that could explain this to me; my father, though I love him to pieces, was always working and my babysitter wasn’t one I felt comfortable enough discussing these new things I was experiencing with.

“It was frightening to me, so I hid myself in what I knew best: fairy tales and stage plays. I knew it was scary, but it was also exciting and new and I wanted to experience the same things these other girls were experiencing. But I was still too afraid.

“And then, five years later I made that wish. And in came you in all your… _youness_ : both off-putting and alluring and it drove me absolutely insane because you were a walking contradiction of a villain completely unlike any I ever read about in my story books.”

She sighed, “You want me to glean some thing from your repeated arguments: fine. Okay, I get that you did a lot for me. And I respect the fact that you want some appreciation for it. You made my journey all about me, all for me: so I guess I do appreciate it. But there are still other issues between us that I think need to be addressed.”

“Such as?”

“Would you rather I start small and work my way up, or go straight into the belly of the beast?”

“That depends,” he replied, “Are the smaller ones the ones that bother you most? I’m under the assumption the answer is no, but one can’t be right all the time. No fun in that.”

“The smaller issues are more points of annoyance than anything else,” Sarah admitted, “But I’m still upset about them.”

“Then we will address the immediate grievances first and then move on from there.”

“How diplomatic of you,” Sarah rolled her eyes knowing full well he could see her do so, “I never would have guessed you possessed such a skill.”

“Villain or not I’m still a King, Sarah,” he said without a hint of his characteristic arrogance, “I have other duties besides collecting children and baiting runners. There is a kingdom that needs to be run you know,”

“So you say,” she teased, “But I’ve yet to see you do anything more than pose, preen, or act like a general prick. However, I suppose I’m willing to change my opinion of you if you give me good enough reason to do so. If we do this, we need to be honest and open with each other, other wise we’ll get nowhere. Is that a promise we’ll make; that anything we say to each other in this Oubliette is honest?”

“I give you my word,” Jareth replied, “for the greater good of my kingdom, and for our own dealings together.”

She took a deep breath, “Okay, let’s start at the very beginning. What possessed you to think throwing a snake at my larynx was a good way to start off our, for lack of a better word, relationship?”

“You said yourself you wished for a villain who would challenge and indulge you,” he reminded, “In my world a demonstration is needed to prove you have any real power to back up your ultimatums. I would not have been much the villain you asked for if I had not tried to intimidate you.”

“Intimidate, not attempt to strangle,” Sarah replied, “Is this whole misunderstanding of my expectations of a villain going to be your excuse for every issue I bring up with you?”

“I’m sure it’s likely to come up a few more times,” he said, “Human culture transforms so quickly these days it’s hard to understand sometimes. It’s very different than what I’m used to, or what I was used to before I was crowned King.”

She narrowed her eyes in what she assumed to be his direction, “I’m sure it’s exactly that.”

“Next object of issue if you don’t mind,”

“Okay, well the whole Oubliette thing is the next one that comes to mind. Did I not choose right? Or were you simply interfering?”

There was a moment of silence from his end, as though contemplating how to word his answer.

“Goblin King?”

“It was a little of both,” he finally admitted, “You insulted my Labyrinth in the same manner, saying it was easy when you hadn’t even learned your lesson yet. It was also a precaution,”

“What was beyond the blue door that caused you to do that?”

“A section of the Labyrinth filled with far darker creatures than you could possibly imagine, Sarah, creatures I will never tell another soul full details about,” the tone with which he ended his answer spoke of the fact that he really did not wish to further elaborate on it.

Sarah made an inquisitive face, “Why are they there if they’re a danger to runners like me?”

“As I told you earlier: the Labyrinth has always been a place of sanctuary for many creatures fleeing Fae encroachment. One of my ancestors signed a treaty with the creatures who inhabit that portion of the Labyrinth which keeps them from being banished unless they attempt treason. Mortals, though valued for their malleability, have been and still are treated as nothing more than pieces of property to be exchanged: if a mortal were to be eaten by one of the creatures no Fae would cry in outrage and demand restitution unless it was one of their favorite toys. I’m sure you can imagine how often that happens.”

“And as for Hoggle leading me back to the beginning?”

“Part and parcel of the game itself,” he explained, “If a mortal gets so far as the Oubliette the dwarf is sent to lead them out and back to the beginning. Unfortunately for me this particular dwarf is too talkative for his own good. Normally the gatekeepers are not supposed to say where the mortal is heading, only that they are being lead out of the Oubliette. He apparently felt sorry for you along with my orders and decided to let you out of the game completely.

“Of course,” Jareth added, “Neither of us counted on you bribing him to help you with a piece of plastic.”

Sarah giggled, just a tiny bit, “He does know that plastic is nearly worthless right?”

“In your world it might be: but here, for the poorer denizens of the Underground it’s practically worth its weight in gold because it can mimic fine jewelry without the cost.”

“Ah, speaking of Hoggle and the plastic bracelet: that brings me to my next point of contention with you.”

“Do go on,”

“You sent the Cleaners after me and Hoggle,”

“You insulted my Labyrinth,” Jareth replied as though it were a fair trade. Sarah felt her mouth gape for a second.

“You can’t be serious,” she said disbelievingly.

“Serious about what?” was he being purposefully obtuse?

“You honestly think that sending a death machine after me and one of your subjects was a fair response to me calling your Labyrinth a piece of cake? I think there’s something seriously flawed with whatever education you had.”

“As I believe you were already informed earlier Sarah, you were never in any mortal danger: the rules that govern my kingdom, and the Underground as a whole prevent any fatal harm from coming to a mortal you’ve invited into the Fae realms. The Cleaners would have stopped before their blades left a mere nick on your flesh, the intent was to challenge and frighten you. However, I will be the first to admit that the Goblins tend to get a little overzealous when put in any position of power; that’s why I had a failsafe included in that tunnel.”

“You did?” Sarah asked incredulously, slightly unable to believe he possessed that manner of forethought.

“Why do you think that supposedly blocked off recess with an escape route was there in the first place? Hogsteeth knew about it, he’s just a bloody coward that jumps at the word ‘boo’ or ‘bog’ in this case. At any rate, you are now aware you should never insult a King’s domain without expecting to suffer serious repercussions for such a slight. And be somewhat grateful, I _could_ have had you locked in the dungeons for that little remark.”

Sarah scoffed, “Yes, because that would have been _such_ a good idea. A question your majesty: is there ever a time you could not be pretentious and narcissistic and a general annoyance to all and sundry that enter your Labyrinth?” she asked.

“I could,” he replied sidling in just a little too close, “given the right incentive to be good I suppose. But then, you wouldn’t fancy me half as much, would you?”

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” Sarah tossed her hair and inched away from him, “Moving on then. I’m going to discount the Fierys since you said this was a place of sanctuary in days-gone-by and I’m assuming that counts for them but I must ask why they have a fascination with ripping their limbs off and throwing them about.”

“Merely a part of their way of life,” Jareth answered, “They have the ability to do it, so why not? At least, that’s how I assume their thought process works.”

“Okay then. Why did you send Hoggle and I hurtling to the Bog for no good reason? We hadn’t done anything wrong?”

“No reason?” he echoed sounding incredibly surprised, “You mean, he didn’t tell you?”

“Tell me what?” Sarah replied, “Is there something he should have told me?”

“Interesting,” he drawled, seemingly intent on keeping her in the dark, “Well, I suppose I understand the reasoning behind that. It’s not as if it was something that truly concerned you in any way. Although,” he trailed off as though contemplating it for the first time. Sarah could almost see him tapping a finger against his chin in thought.

“What are you talking about and how does it somehow involve me?” no answer, “Goblin King,” she warned.

“After Hoggle abandoned you, what was it? Ah yes, the _first_ time he abandoned you I convinced him to go back after you in an attempt to make you lose, as is my prerogative as the Goblin King. He was reserved about my plan, which I can tell by your expression is one of the bigger issues we’ll need to tackle a little later, and when I confronted him about it he told me you two were friends. I taunted him about it and warned him that if you ever kissed him I’d turn him into a prince.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with the Bog,”

“I might have neglected to mention he’d become the Prince of the Land of Stench,” she could really hear -and almost see- the sadistic grin in his voice and frowned disapprovingly.

“So because I kissed him for rescuing me from getting my head forcibly removed from the rest of my body, you sent us hurtling into the Bog with the intent of having us splash down?” when he refused to ascertain her she continued anyways, “Sounds like you were unreasonably jealous if it was a kiss of gratitude that had Hoggle and I in trouble.”

“And if I was?” his honest answer somewhat surprised her before she realized he physically _couldn’t_ lie, “What would you say to that?”

“You jealous? Of Hoggle?” she sounded incredulous for all of a moment, before deciding to have a little fun with her fellow captive, “Well I can see why you would be. I mean, even if he is a little rough around the edges: he’s incredibly sweet and loyal and even brave when it comes down to it. And he’s honest with the ability not to be, unlike certain other peoples. I’m sure when he was younger he must have been quite good-looking too. It’s no wonder why you would be jealous of him.”

“Have you had your fun?” Jareth asked, trying to play it straight but a hint of bemusement at her over the top antics crept into his voice.

Sarah gave an amused sigh, “Yeah, I guess I’m done.”

“Very good, now continue on with your list of my transgressions against you,” he said curtly, but not irately.

“Gee, someone’s keen. I don’t know why, it’s not as if saying sorry and apologizing for it will make it all go away.”

“No, but it will make you feel better,”

“Not to mention get us out of here hopefully.”

“That too,” he agreed, “But that isn’t my primary concern.”

“Winning your kingdom back isn’t your primary concern?” she attempted levity as a defense against what her mind told her his words were implying, “I think you need to get your priorities straight.”

“I meant getting out of here at this very moment isn’t my primary concern Sarah. Though I hate to admit my nursemaid might have been right about _anything_ concerning my Kingdom and my personal affairs concerned therein I’ll be quite frank with you; I think this conversation has been long overdue. Though due to extenuating circumstances we both are at fault for putting it off as long as we did,” he pointedly ignored the look she sent him in the dark, “And regardless of whether or not we win or lose, I will consider myself a victor.”

“A victor?” Sarah couldn’t believe he’d just said that, “So you consider me nothing more than a challenge to beat? A puzzle to solve? Do I _amuse_ you? Am I nothing more than a victory to be won and by gaining my good opinion of you you’ve somehow won?”

“Sarah no!” he was quick to protest, “I’m not, I didn’t mean,” he cut himself, “I apologize for that careless way of speaking. What I meant was that I will consider myself a victor because, even it was at my nursemaid’s meddling and prodding, I was finally man enough to do something about you: the one creature I could never understand, the only person to match me, the one constant that has not once left my thoughts since you left.”

“Goblin King,” she said a bit breathlessly, completely unsure of how to reply.

“Save it,” he told her, “Continue, if you would.”

What had they been talking about? Oh right, her issues with him. Sarah self-consciously brushed a stray lock of hair back over her shoulder.

“Right, well luckily for you we’re almost at the end of my small complaints,” she quipped to bring some lightness into the conversation as a defense against the serious turn she knew this conversation would inevitably take.

“Oh really?” he replied, “And what how many are left to check off?”

“Only two, and they’re related. Firstly, the giant robot. All I can say is, why? Why a giant robot with a giant axe that no one really knows how to pilot?”

“Ah, I was wondering if that would come up,” he chuckled, “Honestly, that was my father’s addition. You see, he has often been fascinated by the flow of human interests and spends most of his time as a retired king either up Above immersing himself in human culture or reading a book from his ever expanding library of mortal stories. He seems to have a particular affinity for the works of Jules Verne and Mary Shelley and decided to have a man built out of metal to act as a sentinel for my city should it come under attack. Unfortunately, it had to be very carefully constructed as magic often interferes with the flow of electricity: so it runs off the steam engines that first came about during Britain’s industrial revolution.”

Sarah stifled a snort of laughter, “Your dad’s into steampunk?” she tried but could not repress the giggles that escaped her.

“Steampunk?” Jareth questioned, “What is steampunk?”

“It’s the name given to a subgenre of science fiction given to stories that take place in a sort of Neo-Victorian setting where steam engines are the primary source of technology. Robots and other machines exist, but they’re powered by steam engines like the robot was. But still, was that the first time it was used?”

“In a matter of speaking,” Jareth replied, “The Goblin in charge obviously had to be somewhat trained in how to operate Humongous, that’s the moniker my father gave it by the way. However, you must admit the design relies more on intimidation by appearance rather than ability. It’s a little too bulky to be much of a threat weapon-wise. And as you know, Goblins aren’t exactly the brightest of creatures so the fighting technique is rather clumsy.”

“Okay then,” Sarah said, still somewhat chuckling, “Then there’s the matter of sending out your _entire_ Goblin Army after me once I got into the City.”

“That reminds me, some of my Goblins are still cleaning rocks out of their homes, so I’d say we’re even on that one,” Jareth told her.

“I think not,” Sarah replied, “I had Ludo call in the rocks only _after_ you sent out the army. I’d say mine was a justified reaction. But why send out an army to stop a party of four, five if you count Ambrosious?”

“Since you asked me directly I can’t be anything but honest now can I?” Jareth asked in reply. He sighed, “Alright, I suppose I panicked.”

“You panicked?” Sarah repeated, “How does panicking lead to sending out the Kingdom’s army?”

“When the,” he paused, “When the present I ordered Hoggle to give you didn’t work I assume you would have been stopped by the temptation to return to your life as it had been sans Tobias, and perhaps even your stepmother had you so desired it. When that failed I assumed the robot would have stopped you. And when I got the news you were on your way to my castle I couldn’t believe it, so I panicked and called out the guards to stop you. And then you had half the City destroyed with those damned rocks.”

“I’ll apologize for destroying half the city, but that’s it,” Sarah said, “And that’s all I have to say on the point small issues. There, you think we can get out of here now?”

There was a beat of silence. The beat stretched into a moment, then two, then three until,

“Well, it seems we’ll have to dig a little deeper in order to gain our freedom,” Jareth remarked.

“Really?” Sarah gasped sarcastically, “I never would have guessed.”

“Ha, ha, very funny,” Jareth said sardonically.

“I try,” Sarah replied, “So, we have to get into the big stuff now, huh?”

“Afraid?” he asked, not teasingly like she would have expected, but knowingly instead.

Sarah was suddenly thankful for the darkness, it meant she wouldn’t have to see his expression as she tackled this.

“I’m not afraid, but I’d really rather not talk about this,” she admitted, “The Peach.”

“I knew this was coming from the start,” he cut in gently.

“I’m sure you did,” Sarah said bitterly.

“To be fair though, you should have known better.”

“Should have known better?” Sarah sputtered with rage.

“Naturally, I’ve seen your room Sarah; you collect fairy tales the way others collect jewelry. You should have known not to accept any food given to you while here.”

“Oh I’m sorry, your highness,” she retorted, “Forgive me for taking some food from my _friend_. How was I not to know it was poisoned?”

“It wasn’t poisoned,”

“Semantics.”

“Getting back to the point. What is your issue with the peach?”

“ _Why_?” she heard her voice give out slightly at the end and all the fury and sadness she felt whenever she remembered that time in the bubble came bubbling forth, “Why did you do that! You forced my friend to betray me! You made a mockery of me! Do you have any idea how I felt?”

“Would it have mattered even if I had?” Jareth asked in reply, “I wanted to win, and I was willing to do whatever it took.”

“Is that how you view it?” Sarah asked, bitter angry tears rolling down her face, “I should have known. I should have never have been so stupid!”

“Are you angry at me because I tricked you? Or are you mad at yourself for some reason?” his calm, rational tone angered her further. At least if he was being smug she could push more of the blame on him and it would be justified.

“I hate you,” she muttered, “I hate you!”

“Why?”

“Perhaps because you gave me a roofie peach?” she snapped, “And then, you put me in a big poufy princess dress –in virginal white, no less-, and made me play a game of hide and seek before an entire ballroom of people before making a mockery of me by taking me in your arms and parading me about. You knew I didn’t belong there, you _knew_ it! And yet you put me there anyways. They were _laughing_ at me Goblin King, _laughing_! I wasn’t ready for something like that and you used it against me and you went way over the line in doing so.”

“Sarah, do you think I alone was the one who came up with that little fantasy? I wasn’t even supposed to be a _part_ of it. The crystals I send out after a runner has eaten an enchanted fruit are meant to bring their greatest dreams to life and more or less trap them inside of it. After all, the sweetest dreams are the ones we never want to leave.”

Sarah felt herself blanch, “You mean I-”

“Were just as much a part of what happened as I was,” Jareth finished, “Yes. You might not have felt ready for it, but you wanted it all the same,”

“Of course I might have wanted it!” Sarah all but screamed in frustration, “Don’t you think I know that? I mean, think of what kind of background I come from. As soon as Toby arrived I was almost completely ignored unless I was babysitting. I didn’t want the pressures of dating; I didn’t even really see the big deal dating presented to everyone else my age. But at the same time I was kind of curious. No one ever asked me out on a date and it made me-”

She cut herself off and sighed, “I often wondered if there was something wrong with me. As if I were somehow, _broken_ for not wanting to date, but wanting to be wanted by somebody. The few times I ever did get together with other girls my age and hang out we’d go out and scope the local boys. Sometimes a few brave boys even approached us. I felt nothing, when all these girls were batting their eyes and doing all manner of ridiculous things disguised under the name of ‘flirting’ I felt nothing. And then you-” she cut herself off and bit her lip, finally deciding to look in his direction with a bittersweet expression, “But I guess it was nothing more than a trick, wasn’t it? I was a joke to be made for all those people, nothing more than a punchline to be laughed at.”

Jareth found himself quietly observing Sarah, surprised that the lioness who was able to best him as no other had been before had such issues with her confidence when it came to matters of the heart. He remembered Ciara’s admonition of his use of that Peach for Sarah’s run. He finally understood why.

“Sarah, was I,” he tried to find the right phrasing for his question, “Was I, the first man you ever responded to?”

“You were the only man I’d ever been around that wasn’t family at that point in my life,” Sarah reminded him.

“No, what I mean is, you never felt anything when talking with those other males?”

“Not before, and certainly not after,” she laughed self-depreciatingly, “But I guess that’s to be expected right? Hard to compare a magical, fairy tale king with a mere mortal man and believe the latter would ever measure up, don’t you think?”

“I suppose you want me to apologize for screwing you up so badly and impressing you to the point: your expectations for any other man would fall flat don’t you?”

“No,” Sarah replied softly, “I want you to apologize for giving me that drugged peach in the first place and then making a mockery of me before all those people.”

“I will apologize for the peach, but Sarah I was not making a mockery out of you.”

“They were laughing at me; do you not remember that at all? They must have thought it so amusing: a little girl playing dress up and getting star-struck by the mighty Goblin King, nearly swooning from one dance and perhaps hoping for more? Oh, how funny! How silly she is, nothing more than a silly little mortal girl.”

“Sarah, I will admit they were laughing. However, it was not all due to you.”

“And what could you possibly mean by that?”

“Most of those attendants at that ball were already deep in their cups and heavily inebriated by the time they began swarming us. And in my world, balls such as the one you helped create are places of political intrigue and decadent debauchery,” he laughed a little at her expression, “Fae are creatures of the senses, something I believe gets left out of your mortal lore far too often. Masquerades are games to every Fae that attends: many young debutantes hope to secure a wealthy and titled husband by getting him drunk and seducing him whilst their nosy mothers stand by ready to catch them in the act and force them into marriage to avoid scandal. However, these attempts do not always succeed and as such very few female Fae are actually innocent virgins when they wed. And before you ask: I do speak from personal experience.

“Now, think of you. An innocent, and guileless beauty: a pure and beautiful flower amidst a garden of alluring weeds. And consider me: a man who has thus far managed to elude the marriage-minded mamas with their scheming little miniatures, acting like a green-lad with his first love. Chasing you around the ballroom and being chased. Doing everything I could to catch a glimpse of you and keep you out of harm, yet shying away the moment I thought your eyes would find me. I was besotted with the sight of you in that dress and the vision of loveliness you were. I admit, when I gave you that peach it was merely an attempt to make you forget everything. But once I was in, you brought me to my knees. Can’t you believe that?”

“I wish I could,” Sarah answered honestly, “But I can’t.”

“Why can’t you? Did we not promise each other that every word out of our mouths here would be the truth? Danu above Sarah, have you forgotten I _can’t_ lie?”

“You might not be able to outright lie, but you can stretch the truth and circumvent it. That’s what all fairies and magical folk who can’t lie do. I’ve read the stories and I know how it works.”

“I’m not doing either of those things. Everything we’ve said in here has been total honesty!”

“You have to be!” she said vehemently, “Because, because if you’re not… what did it mean then?”

“What did what mean?” she was talking in circles, and he was getting to be in no mood for it.

“When you said- in the castle, when you said-”

“You mean my offer?” He’d been wondering if they would get to this. It had niggled at him too.

She didn’t answer verbally, but he could see her nod. It gave him the gumption to go on.

“Sarah, that offer was everything I had to give. I wanted you here, with me as my queen.”

“That can’t be right,” Sarah argued, “it was just a trick! Just a way to keep me from winning, by playing on my desires for a happy ending.”

“You had already won at that point Sarah. Weren’t you aware of that?”

“I had?”

“Yes, you had reached the castle, solved the Labyrinth, gotten to the center. Tobias had already been sent home by the time you made that leap of faith.”

“Then, what was that baby I saw?”

“Merely a figment of your own imagination. The magic in my castle reacted to it and created a baby for you to perceive as in peril.”

“Then what were you trying to-”

“Sarah, you had won the game. I wanted to win _you_. I offered you everything that I had, everything that I was. And you so cruelly spat upon it with your little declaration.”

“I didn’t think that was what it was!” Sarah argued, “The story never said anything about that! It only said the way to defeat the Goblin King was to say the right words. So I did, I had to.”

“But, had you known: you would have stayed?” he sounded hopeful.

Sarah sighed, “I couldn’t have, even if I’d wanted to.”

“Why?” he had been sure at that moment her rejection was rooted in being misinformed.

“Goblin King, I had no clue about what you were offering me at the time. And to be fair you didn’t really give me a reason to believe in anything you said. You were so mercurial, changing your façade at the drop of a hat. I was always off balance around you, having no idea whether or not you were ever being genuine. The only consistency you ever gave me was the fact that you were dangerous. The reason why may have changed, but the fact remained. You were Heathcliffe, Rochester, and some sort of rebel from an old fifties movie all rolled into one. There was nothing that said ‘trustworthy’ about you, and that’s why I had no idea what you were offering.

“And complete and total honesty? I still don’t really understand. What I do know, however, is that I was way too young and immature for whatever you wanted to give me. I would have grown to resent you, and in that sort of state would have done everything to embarrass and hurt you: especially if you’d announced and made me your bride.”

“You wouldn’t ha-”

“I didn’t even know who I was back then,” Sarah pressed on, “I didn’t know who I was or what I wanted. And over the years I found out that I’ll never really know the whole answer. And I’m okay with that, I’m a better person for it. And I’m a better person because you were the only one willing to teach me a lesson I _needed_ to learn.”

“You really believe that?” that almost sounded less than confident to her.

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t,” Sarah replied, “Said is said and all that. So, thank you, and for what it’s worth: I’m sorry.”

“I’m sorry too.”

Sarah ducked and gave a soft smile, even knowing he could probably still see it, “I know,”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I seem to be of the opinion that cliffhangers are good endings to chapters for some reason

Ciara let out a sigh of relief from her spot on the throne as she let the viewing crystal hover before her. The scene she had bore audio witness to was at an end and progress had been made.

“Praise be to Danu Above!” she cried throwing her hands up into the air, “I think we’ve _finally_ gotten somewhere with these two!”

“Really?” Hoggle asked as his stout little legs made the journey over to the dais, “’Bout time.”

“Ludo happy!” the rock troll cooed, his ever-present smile growing wider.

“Indeed verily,” Didymus agreed, riding over on Ambrosious, “Shall we begin preparations for my Lord and Lady’s Handfasting ceremony?”

Ciara smiled and sighed good-naturedly, “Didymus, my dear knight you seem to be rushing far ahead too quickly. They’ve only just begun; give it time to grow.”

“So, you gonna let them out now?” Hoggle asked gruffly. Ciara nodded at the Dwarf.

“Naturally, I’ll go meet them to make sure they know how much time they have left, as well as the general teasing, mockery, and typical antagonist posturing of course. Keep those rowdy little buggers in line while I’m out.”

With merely a thought and a whisper of magic, Ciara was gone. Noting this fact, the Goblins decided to create chaos. Hoggle, Didymus, and Ludo certainly had their work cut out for them.

*******************************************

There was silence in the Oubliette as each of them tried to recover from the serious discussion they’d been having for what felt like forever.

“So,” Sarah began awkwardly, staring down at where her hands would have been if she’d been able to see them. In a fit of nerves, she began wringing her fingers between her other hand.

“So,” Jareth replied, sounding as unflappable as ever. She wished she could be on more even footing with him, but in his domain that was a challenge she’d yet to rise to successfully.

“Do you, really like me like that?”

“Am I a creature physically capable of outright lying?” Jareth asked in response.

“Okay, I get the point. You don’t need to keep bringing it up,” Sarah rolled her eyes at him, “So, what does that mean, you know. About us?”

“I don’t know,” Jareth answered, “I am still restricted from interacting from you unless you explicitly call upon me. So whatever turn this ‘us’ takes it will all be completely according to your will and pace, whether it is what I wish or not. I know what I want, but I can see now that my hastiness in regards to getting it was an egregious oversight I will not duplicate. No matter how much I wish to have the hard part done and you in my bed. I will begrudgingly move at your pace.”

“My pace?” Sarah said disbelievingly. It seemed too out of character for him, “And what do you want anyways? Besides a roll in the hay, I mean.”

“I believe you already know the answer to that one.”

“I do?” she had the feeling he was giving her a significant look. As she thought about it more and more, the answer became glaringly obvious. Her mouth dropped open, “ _Oh_. I do.”

At that moment there was the sound of ancient stone creaking away, letting a shaft of low light into the space of the Oubliette on the far side of where Jareth and Sarah had been sitting. The two stared at the light for a moment, before turning to stare at each other.

“So,” Sarah drawled uncomfortably, rubbing the back of her head and avoiding his gaze, “the door’s open now.”

“Have you ever been told your observation skills are quite remarkable?” Jareth quipped teasingly.

“Ha, ha,” Sarah retorted, tossing her head. Another moment of uncomfortable silence followed, “Um… We should probably, go now.”

“Indeed,” neither of them made a movement to leave their current spot. More awkward silence ensued.

“Um, look,” Sarah hesitated, unable to stop wringing her fingers and playing with her hair, “About everything we said while we were stuck in here,”

“It remains in the strictest confidence,” Jareth finished, “I won’t tell a single soul if you don’t.”

“And if I do?” Sarah said with a conspiratorial grin. She couldn’t resist asking.

“Then not only will the secrets you have disclosed to me be revealed to every member of my kingdom and every kingdom I have acquaintance with, every soul you tell will be promptly Bogged before being banished from my kingdom.”

“It isn’t really that I’m ashamed of my secrets anymore, so you can go ahead and spread them around as much as you like. But is the Bogging really necessary?” Sarah asked with a smile.

“It will keep anyone else they may reveal the secrets to far away so that they may not spread and my reputation may not be tattered mercilessly. It’s a form of protection really.”

“What if I told someone and they wrote it down before being Bogged and banished? Then your secrets would still be out, and you would have wasted a good Goblin for nothing.”

“I,” Jareth held up a finger to argue the point further but came up short, “I admittedly hadn’t thought about that. Touché Sarah Williams, touché.”

Sarah laughed, “Thank you, your majesty. Now what’s say we get out of here before your nanny changes her mind and shuts the door on us again?” at his nod she held out her hands, “You go first?”

“Very well,” Jareth crawled forth toward the entrance, Sarah following closely behind. He put a hand back and halted her, “Give it a moment,” he said, “After being in the dark for who knows how long your eyes will need a moment or two to adjust.”

Once he was out he stood in front of the opening to help filter the light and help her eyes transition to light again. He helped her up off the floor and out of the Oubliette. After blinking a few times Sarah’s vision returned to normal. They were in the tunnels that ran under the Labyrinth.

“Thank you, Goblin King,” she said.

“Jareth,” he corrected, looking her straight in the eyes.

“Jareth?” she repeated questioningly. She knew it was his name, thanks to Hoggle and more recently Ciara, but didn’t understand why he would tell her about it now.

“After all that, I feel we’ve gotten close enough that you should be able to address me by my first name. Don’t you think?” Jareth regarded her impassively, “Of course, if you’d rather not-”

“No, no. It’s completely fine,” she quickly assured him, “Okay then, Jareth,” his first name felt foreign yet not unpleasant on her lips, “Which way do we go?”

“You mean you haven’t a clue?” Jareth asked in response.

“Hoggle was the one guiding me last time,” Sarah reminded him, “And even if he hadn’t been, it was a different Oubliette we fell into. I doubt the path is the same way.”

“Well, have you any suggestions?”

“Hmm,” Sarah put a finger to her lip in thought, “We could try finding some False Alarms and see what they tell us. If they tell us we’re going the wrong way, then we’re going the right way. If they tell us anything else, we’ll need to double back and try again,” she leveled a look at him, “By the way, why are you asking me all the questions about how to get through this. To become king in the first place you needed to do your own run and succeed, didn’t you?”

“I did on both accounts,” Jareth replied as they began walking, “However, I have been king for five hundred mortal years, give or take. Convert that into how many years it’s been in the Underground and you’ll see why I’m drawing a few blanks here and there. Not to mention the fact that there’s rarely a need, once you’ve become King, to go through the Labyrinth bit by bit. I can key my magic to take me in the general vicinity of a person I wish to run into and magically transport myself there. A King’s privilege if you will, which unfortunately, has been stripped from me and given to Ciara. Which I have no doubt she’s making full use of,”

“My, my what a nice segue you’ve provided me,” her voice came from a little ways away from them. They had barely gotten more than ten feet from the Oubliette when they saw her. Still dressed all in black, but the armor was gone, though she did keep the high-collared cape. She lackadaisically leaned against one of the walls, not quite as imposing as Sarah’s memories of the last goblin monarch who confronted her down here, but –as Sarah felt the need to remind herself- no less of a threat. Perhaps, she was even more because nothing in this place was ever as it seemed. Not even, as Sarah recently realized, its King.

“Hello my lovelies,” Ciara greeted them with a lukewarm smile, but an impassively calculating gaze, “I see you’ve had some time to sit down and talk. And judging by your appearances do _more_ than talking it would seem.”

Immediately Jareth and Sarah’s eyes flicked to one another and they blanched. Their hair and clothing had been mused from the fall into the Oubliette, and there were several streaks of dirt from their impact into the earthen floor, as well as the crawling they’d done whilst moving about the blackened space.

Sarah felt her cheeks flush, “I know people normally only say this when it’s not true; but in all actuality this is really, _really_ not what you think it looks like.”

Ciara chuckled indulgently, “I’m sure,” she replied, “At any rate: I’m glad you two finally had some time to talk and work a few things out. Though really Jareth, you should be more careful about where you put your hands, shouldn’t you?”

“I,” Sarah began to protest, “Wait, you were _watching_ us!?” she nearly shrieked.

“Watching?” Ciara echoed holding her hands up and shrugging exaggeratedly, “Watching _what_ , exactly? You two were in a pitch-black Oubliette, not much to see there don’t you think?” her expression turned coyly knowing, “However, I wouldn’t say that hindered my crystal’s audio capabilities.”

“So you were listening to everything we said?” Sarah groaned.

“Just kill me now,” Jareth mock-beseeched his nursemaid, “Take an iron frying pan and bash me over the head with it so I can die peacefully.”

“Oh stop with the dramatics,” Ciara chided, “The two of you really are a match, aren’t you? Honestly,” she shook her head, “At any rate, surely you know why I’m here.”

“I’m sure we do,” Jareth replied, “But I suppose you’ll feel the need to explain it to us anyways.”

“See?” Ciara teased, “You have been learning! And how right you are. The reason I’m here is because I was generous enough not to let all that time you spent in the Oubliette count against you. We decided upon a little, what’s the mortal word for it, ah yes: a time out. However, now that you are free, the game resumes. I’d pick up the pace a bit more if I were you two. You don’t have very much time left.”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Of course,”

Ciara hummed in agreement, “So I suppose now’s the time for the obligatory question: how are two enjoying yourselves?”

“I-” Sarah began only to be cut off by Jareth’s hand touching her shoulder, “What?”

“Don’t answer her,” Jareth nearly hissed through gritted teeth, “It’s a trap. Whatever answer you give she’ll use it against us.”

Ciara laughed, “He’s quite right, you know. But it simply wouldn’t be any fun if I just handed you the crown and the kingdom, now would it?”

“It might not be fun,” Jareth countered, muttering under his breath, “but it would definitely be a lot easier.”

“True,” Ciara agreed, “however the best things in life aren’t the ones that are easy to obtain. They’re the things worth fighting for. So tell me Jareth, are you willing to fight for your kingdom?”

“I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t,” he answered, taking hold of Sarah’s wrist and pulling her behind him; a defensive and protective gesture that didn’t go unnoticed, “But you already know that.”

“Good answer,” Ciara’s grinning face held a hint of mischief to it, “But I’m still not letting you off the hook. No fun to be had in making this an easy victory for you, don’t you think?”

“Oh, don’t tell me,” Sarah whispered as she closed her eyes and gripped tightly to the back of Jareth’s shirt; hoping against hope that Ciara wouldn’t, she _couldn’t_. Unfortunately, the sound of grinding gears and whirring metal ultimately proved her wrong.

Jareth’s eyes flashed with ire and irritation, “Really? The Cleaners? Have you no sense of originality?”

Ciara simply laughed, “I’ve plenty of originality. You’ll see soon enough. But for now, a little peril is good for the soul,” she wiggled her fingers like a prissy little girl in goodbye, a shit-eating grin plastered across her face as she disappeared, “Ta-ta my lovelies. And have fun!” the last part was deliberately said with a sing-song tone, just to further annoy Jareth.

“Damn that woman!” he cursed, turning around and keeping himself and Sarah between the blades of the mechanism. It was still a bit of a ways off, enough to give them a head start if they were cautious, “Come on Sarah!” he grabbed her wrist and ran from the mechanical beast as fast as his legs could carry him. Sarah stumbled along half-behind him for a beat or two, before her mind caught up with the situation and forced her feet to fly in order to match his stride.

“Jareth!” Sarah yelled over the commotion, “What do we do? We’re not in the same part of the tunnels anymore. There’s no recess to save us!”

“We keep running!” was all he had time to yell in response as the machine gained on them, continuously picking up speed since it wasn’t able to become fatigued.

As they continued to barely escape the clutches of the Cleaners, Jareth continued to use his keen avian-like eyes to search for a hidden turn or a break in the path. Eventually he espied one and without a word of warning pulled Sarah in front of him before unceremoniously shoving her off to the side. She landed hard on her side as the Cleaners rumbled past, still chasing her Fae companion.

Unsteadily Sarah rose to her feet and stumbled out of the alcove, seeing nothing more than the two goblins who operated the device continuously pedaling as they chased down Jareth.

“Jareth!” Sarah called, rubbing and wincing at the pain in her left thigh. Her eyebrows knitted together for a moment before her entire face went slack with shock. He had pushed her out of the way, knowing that he could be turned into mincemeat by that thing and also knowing that if she was the only one who showed up at the castle there was no way of him getting his crown back. Gritting her teeth, Sarah shook off the pain and tore after the unguarded rear of the machine.

*******************************************

“How curiously strange,” Ciara remarked as she watched the scene unfold from her crystal.

“What?” Hoggle half-asked, half-groused from his spot beside the throne. One might have wondered why he was sitting there if he detested the Goblin King so much. The answer was simple: just because he didn’t like Jareth didn’t mean he wasn’t going to take any opportunity to sit next to the throne if he had the chance, the fact of it belonging to the Rat not withstanding.

“Even knowing what I said: knowing he could use no magic, nor be separated from her and expect to win, he put her safety, her well-being, before his own. I expected him to be at least a little selfish and keep her with him simply out of the desire to win,” she sounded surprised, “He told me he cared for her, I just never realized…” she trailed off, enraptured by the images the crystal presented.

“Care? That rat?” Hoggle snorted in disbelief, “I’d court the queen of the Fairy Swarm before I believe he actually cares fer someone ‘sides himself.”

“Well, start picking flowers then Hoggle,” Ciara replied, “Because he shoved her off into an alcove in the tunnels without letting himself in there; unlike what he’d normally do.”

“No way in-”

“Shh,” Ciara silenced him, “there are children present Hoggle,” she said glancing straight ahead and smiling.

Hoggle shook his head, “Yeah, yeah. So what’s happening now?”

“She’s going after the machine, presumably to save that fool former charge of mine’s hide.”

“Sarah? Saving _his_ hide?” Hoggle exclaimed, “I don’t believe it.”

Ciara lowered the crystal to his eye level, “See for yourself,” she watched the dwarf’s face twist.

“I’ll be damned,” Hoggle breathed.

“So will I,” Ciara added as she brought the crystal back to her face.

*******************************************

Her lungs burned and her chest heaved, but she pressed on. Her legs flew and belatedly she hoped that the poufy-haired semi-nuisance hadn’t tripped up on something yet. Slowly but surely Sarah found herself catching up with the machine chasing down Jareth. It was quite difficult to plan her attack, seeing as there was no immediate platform for her to jump onto. However, she managed to maneuver herself onto the side which had no Goblins and jumped onto it, stopping the cranks that activated the blades. The two Goblins working the pedals that propelled the machine were surprised to see her.

“What the-” said one before Sarah grabbed it and used its small body to smack the others off their posts. She then carelessly dropped the Goblin on his behind, hoping that without a power source for the wheels or blades it would stop before it flayed the great feather-brain.

When the mere momentum of the flat space didn’t seem to be helping Sarah remembered something her father had once told her while she was learning to ride her first two-wheeler. That if she ever needed to slow the momentum of her bike while going down a hill, simply pedal back and the bike would brake. Biting her lip and hoping it would work Sarah grabbed the makeshift “pedal” on her side of the machine and forced it back. The machine slowed a little. Blowing a piece of hair out of her eyes Sarah continued to force the pedal back over and over again until she could feel the hulking piece of deadly metal slow and eventually stop.

Heaving a sigh of relief, Sarah stumbled back into the flat side of the Cleaners, slumping down to the ground. When the sound of her frantic heartbeat had left her ears she listened carefully for any sign that Jareth was okay. After a few moments of silence Sarah grew tense and was suddenly thankful the circular portion was large enough to prolong her finding out he’d already been gored through like a squash.

“Jareth?” she tentatively called. No answer. She tried again, “Jareth?” she yelled a little louder.

After another beat the sound of footsteps echoed through the empty cavern system.

“Sarah?” she heard him call back.

“Jareth!” Sarah exclaimed in relief, “You’re okay!” that came out a little _too_ happy for comfort.

“I can’t imagine why you thought I wouldn’t be,” she heard him reply, “But I am both touched and thankful for your concern. How did you ever-”

“A long story,” Sarah said breathlessly.

“I’m sure,” Jareth quipped dryly, “But you shouldn’t have done that. You should have remained in that alcove until I returned to get you. It was incredibly dangerous and foolhardy what you did.”

“Hey!” Sarah said in indignation, “Jareth you said it yourself, beating your Labyrinth the first time around makes us equals. Remember that little monologue? For my will is as strong as yours and my kingdom as great? I wasn’t about to let you get turned into Swiss cheese when I could do something about it. And if you think that my concern is any leverage to hold over me then-”

“My, my, you are positively brilliant when you’re all riled up aren’t you?” he remarked and she could _hear_ the smile in his voice, “But if you would have let me finish, Precious, I would have said that I was incredibly grateful. Though it was recklessly stupid to assail that piece of machinery on your own I am thankful you did; even if it was a bit unnecessary.”

“Unnecessary?” Sarah pointlessly glared over her shoulder, imagining his position behind her, “How does that not belittle my effort?”

“It doesn’t because the sentiment behind the action was genuine concern,” Jareth affirmed, “However you should recall one of the rules of this game. Ciara said that no mortal injury would come to us or the game would be over. And I think that being shish-kebabed by that infernal contraption would count as mortal injury.”

“Why do you even _have_ this thing?” Sarah asked, “Does it serve any purpose other than scaring the crap out of anyone that sees it coming? Or is it just what you use to get lesser runners to piss their pants with fear?”

“My, I’m surprised to hear such language from you Sarah-mine. But in all actuality this contraption does have a purpose. It was part of a cleaning project implemented by my father a few decades back,” Jareth replied, “He wanted the tunnels to be free of the millennia of debris and decay they’d been coated with before. Can’t necessarily say one way or the other whether it was funds well spent. Of course, considering the rest of the funds were redirected to the Pea Shooter Project, there’s very little basis for comparison.”

“Pea Shooter Project?”

“Bit of a Chicken overpopulation problem when it happened. Trust me when I say that you really don’t want to know the intimate details of that little era in my Kingdom.”

“Right,” Sarah drawled, “So how do we get past this impasse?”

“You’ll have to wheel it back until we reach a side access where you can slip out and meet me out in front, or vice versa.”

“Should we go back? Try the path leading in the other direction than the one we took when we got out?”

“I don’t think so, but I’m not entirely sure,” Jareth put a finger to his lips, “The situation is rather frustrating, but my nursemaid would be having any fun if it were any other way.”

“You really don’t think we should go back? Why not?”

“Because, it could be that Ciara simply set the Cleaners on us just to be sadistic, or she could have been forcing us off the correct path by having us chased farther away from our destination. I know for certain that there’s a spot that leads right up into the castle, I’m just not so certain of where it is. Besides, even if I did there’s no guarantee that Ciara wouldn’t make it disappear just for laughs.”

“Well, either way we need to get back on the same side, literally.”

“Quite right,” Jareth agreed, “Keep reversing the gear and it’ll roll backwards. There should be another alcove a few feet from here.”

“And you didn’t think to dart in there until it had passed?” Sarah asked disbelievingly.

“I was a little preoccupied with not falling flat on my face and being skewered,” Jareth replied, “And while I had briefly entertained the thought I was on the wrong side of the corridor and was unable to make it in time.”

“As riveting as this conversation really is,” a voice that didn’t belong to Sarah cut in, “If you two insist on dillydallying like this I’ll assume this game is too easy and I’ll be forced to –how did you put it Jareth? Ah yes, I’ll be forced to _up the stakes a little_. Is that what you want? I’ll be more than happy to oblige if that’s the case,” Ciara stood before Sarah leaning with one elbow braced against the wall and its hand supporting her face, looking for all the world like an aggravated spectator.

Sarah heard Jareth groan from behind her, “What is it you want now woman?”

Ciara directed a cynical look at Sarah: raised brow, narrowed eyes, and pursed lips, “How about a little less talking and a little more acting?” she snapped her fingers and the device vanished out from under Sarah, leaving her to land with an ungraceful little thump, “While all this character development is quite diverting and important and I’m sure the fangirls are hyperventilating all over the place, I do have an audience to keep entertained you know.”

“An audience?” Sarah blanched as she stood, “Oh God. You have people _watching_ this?”

Ciara quirked a brow and gave a knowing smile, “Naturally. Do you realized how upset some of the Goblins were when I told them they couldn’t participate in the game this time around? I had to do something to keep that horde happy else I was afraid they’d grow upset enough to stage a coup and overthrow me. Much like that Chicken uprising you had to deal with some time ago Jareth.”

Sarah questioningly glanced over her shoulder at Jareth just in time to see him shiver, “Bloody rats with feathers and wings,” he muttered under his breath along with several other expletives abut the fowls. It wasn’t helped when Ciara did nothing but chuckle at his antics, amused by him and Sarah’s confusion.

“Chicken Coup?” Sarah piped up, “What about a Chicken Coup?”

Ciara smiled, “Oh, forgot to mention _that_ little detail when discussing your defeat now didn’t we Jareth? What a pity,” she shook her head while chuckling sadistically, “What a pity indeed.”

“We’re getting off track here,” Jareth said immediately changing the subject, “You want us to get moving, we’ll get moving. Any other booby traps you’d like to spring on us before we go?”

“I already did what I came here to do,” Ciara replied as Jareth grabbed Sarah by the arm and started hauling her away, “Have fun!”

Sarah shivered as soon as she knew the Fae woman was gone, “I can’t believe she’s got some sort of voyeur type situation going on here.”

“Much as I hate to defend her at the moment, it’s simply how these things are done Sarah,” Jareth said, “You honestly think you took a step through my Labyrinth that _I_ wasn’t aware of?”

Sarah stuck out her tongue, “Ugh! That’s creepy and perverted and just wrong on so many levels.”

“Again, that may be true. But it is simply how things are done down here. Not much I can do to change it at this point.”

“Right,” Sarah drawled sarcastically, “Speaking of the way things are done around here; are Chicken Coups a part of that list?”

“Can we not talk about that bloody incident?” Jareth nearly snarled.

“Why not?” Sarah said though a laugh, “I’m curious, how do Chickens get smart enough to stage a coup and attempt to take your crown?”

“If you ask Ciara,” Jareth began, “She’d tell you it was because I was ‘sulking’ over your victory at my expense. I suppose, in a sense she was right: I _was_ being a little melancholy, though the reason why is different. No matter, I was very despondent and was admittedly letting things go. I wasn’t being as competent as usual. The small handful of smart Chickens wizened up to this little fact and managed to rally the rest of the flock to their cause.

“They attempted to steal my sigil, I stunned them all with magic, and then had half of them executed to make an example out of them. The rest were only kept alive for breeding purposes and then swiftly disposed of when they could no longer perform that duty. After they were hatched, the chicks were separated from their mothers and raised by a transformed Goblin so as to remain loyal to the crown. A few years later the issue was of little consequence; certainly not worth mentioning ever again. But Ciara does like to watch others suffer, whether she admits it or not.”

“Wow,” Sarah said after mulling it over, “That was actually a really good idea, Jareth. Completely and utterly cruel, but a good idea nonetheless.”

“Much as I would like to take credit for it, that wasn’t my idea,” Jareth replied, “And I’m only telling you as much so that my nursemaid doesn’t come back to rectify the situation. There’s only so much damage a man’s ego can take, and between both you and Ciara mine can’t sustain many more blows. Though, I’m beginning to think that was the plan from the start.”

Sarah laughed and without thinking brought a hand to cover her mouth, “Funny, very funny Jareth.”

“You may think so, but I’m being completely serious,” he said rolling his eyes at her.

“Sure you are,” they stopped when they came to a fork in the road, “Don’t suppose this was magically altered and you can see which way is the right way to go, can you?”

Jareth shook his head, “Afraid not my dear. This path is completely set. We’ll just have to choose the old fashioned way.”

“You mean make a guess and pray it doesn’t come back to bite us in the ass?”

“Where _did_ you learn such foul and vulgar language?”

“College has been a very stimulating experience,” Sarah quipped.

“Nevertheless, it’s quite unbecoming.”

“Maybe for your kind it is. Up there, it’s very common outside of polite company. People swear all the time with their friends and it’s no big deal.”

Jareth sniffed and shook his head disdainfully, “I’m not quite sure I approve of that. Makes everything rather plebian.”

“What a pity you don’t rule the mortal world then,” Sarah shook her head in mock sympathy, “Oh wait, it’s _not_.”

“Ha, ha. Don’t quite whatever job you’re hoping to go for,” Jareth replied, “I can tell you now that comedy simply isn’t your thing.”

“And apparently sarcasm isn’t yours,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “As I have stated before, bad things happen when we go left. Let’s go right,” she started to walk before Jareth’s hand caught her shoulder and forced her to look both at him and the choice they had to make.

“And as I will tell you now: bad things are going to happen regardless of which direction we choose, so it doesn’t matter as long as we choose and don’t waste anymore time.”

“Oh, I’m wasting time now am I?” Sarah gave him a cynical glare, “Fine then, you go left and I’ll go right and we’ll see who ends up where,” She tossed her hair, shook his hand off, and started down the rightward path, leaving Jareth to gawk at her. He pulled a gloved hand down his face and huffed in exasperation.

“Women!” he muttered under his breath, giving chase to the mortal who’d left him in the dust. How had she gotten so far in so short a time. Stupid question he told himself, “Sarah!” he called out. She walked on without any indication she’d heard him, though knowing Sarah she was probably doing it on purpose, “Sarah wait, will you?”

Sarah stopped and turned around, planting her hands on her hips and all but glaring at him, “And why should I? I have no desire to be talked to or treated the way you just did. I am the Champion of the Labyrinth and I would rather face whatever lies ahead on my own than stand around putting up with your various mood swings Jareth.”

“Sarah, I didn’t mean it like that,” Jareth gently cajoled, “I simply didn’t want Ciara to come back and take the time away from us. We’re traversing under the wider parts of the Labyrinth at this point. We’ll need every second we can get in order to simply get out of this tunnel system. It goes on for miles.”

Sarah stared at him pensively. There was a moment or two of tense silence before she relented, “Okay Jareth: I’ll forgive you as long as you say you’re sorry.”

Jareth’s face fell, “What?”

“You heard me.”

Jareth stifled a groan and muttered, “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Oh, so you ‘didn’t mean it that way’ did you?” Sarah smirked, knowing she had him cornered.

“I, you’re right,” Jareth sighed knowing there was no way getting out of it, “I apologize for speaking to you like that Sarah. Will you forgive me?”

“Yes, I will. But only this once,” she warned, “I’m not a fan of third chances Jareth, just so you’re aware.”

“Duly noted,” he replied, “Now, shall we?” he gestured to the path ahead.

Sarah pretended to consider another option for a moment, “Yes, we shall.”

The path continued onward for quite some time, winding here and there like a slithering snake making its way through the undergrowth. Eventually it led to an old rickety ladder much like the one Sarah and Hoggle had used to escape the tunnels once before. Cautiously they climbed, Jareth right behind Sarah “in case she slipped”. The opening at the top was curled over and already uncovered, and turned out to be the entrance to what looked from the ground level to be a rabbit’s burrow. Sarah and Jareth crawled out, brushing the dirt off their knees as they stood and looked around.

“Where is this?” Sarah asked as she looked around. The walls were the same beige color as they had been upon encountering the Ruse Guards, but nowhere that looked familiar enough to gain bearings. And, as per usual in the Labyrinth, the rabbit hole was now nowhere to be seen.

“You keep asking the right questions. However, you’re neglecting to ask the right person Precious,” Jareth responded, “I am about as useless as a stone at the moment as I am unattuned with the Labyrinth and its moods of shifting here and there.”

“Wait, I see a flash of green!” Sarah exclaimed happily, “That must be the Hedge maze, if we get there then I think we’ll be able to figure out where we are and where we need to go.”

“Or at the very least, find the Wiseman and his obnoxious hat and solicit them for some advice on which direction to take,” Jareth added as they began walking in that direction.

“There is that,” Sarah agreed as they wandered through the greenery.

They were unable to find the Wiseman or his hat and were left aimlessly walking about, attempting to find a segue to the next segment of the maze. Sarah found herself missing her friends, they would have been a great help. She knew that if she needed them, they would come running. But that would defeat the purpose of running in the first place. Turn left here, and right here.  Straight a head a few feet, now right, left, right, right. Another dead end appeared before them.

“Now where do we go?” Sarah asked as she turned to Jareth. He shrugged without answering and she shook her head, turning away to survey their options, “An opinion or some advice would be appreciated right now Jareth.”

“It’s a Labyrinth Sarah, when you come to a dead end, you backtrack and try another way.”

Sarah sighed, “Right, how could I forget? Thank you for pointing that out Capitan Obvious,”

“Any time, Precious. Any time,” his tone was the smug and she knew he was teasing her.

She pinched her brow, “Okay, let’s backtrack and try another turn. There has to be something that leads to another section of the maze.”

“As you wish,” Jareth smirked at her as he regally yet lazily appeared to lean against one of the walls.

“Very funny,” Sarah rolled her eyes, “Come on your majesty. We’re burning daylight here and we need to get to the castle!”

“Now who’s Capitan Obvious?” he drawled as they turned around and started picking their way back to the clearing where they’d gotten out of the tunnels.

“Still you,” Sarah quipped as they continued to complete the twists and turns.

“Be still my beating heart,” Jareth placed a hand against his chest and feigned injury, “You wound me so, Precious.”

“You don’t have a heart,” Sarah retorted, “And don’t call me Precious.”

“Surely you can grant me this one small boon,” Jareth said, “After all I’ve done for you?”

“I thought we weren’t going to bring up the past,” Sarah bristled.

“I never agreed to that,” Jareth reminded her, “I only agreed that we would never speak of what we discussed in the Oubliette. That has nothing to do with the agreement.”

Sarah made a few strangled noises of anger, “Why you- I- ah- Grr!” she sputtered before reigning in her temper and cooling down. She sighed, “Fine, but on the condition that you no longer hold that over my head. You’ve used up the favor that got you. I hope you’re happy with yourself, I would have saved it for something I wanted more.”

“I didn’t feel as though I could just use that for anything I wanted,” Jareth was surprisingly showing some actual maturity, “I didn’t want our new acquaintance to begin simply because I forced you to accept it.”

“You want us to be friends? And you wanted to do it the right way?” Sarah asked, “Huh, I’m impressed by your sense of decorum Jareth.”

“Thank you,” he replied.

They returned to the clearing to attempt another route out of the Hedge maze. Instead they found two doors with no handles or knobs, but two oddly distinctive door knockers. One had a ring in his ears, the other in his mouth.

“Now this looks familiar,” Sarah quipped as they approached the doored fork.

“Been here before have we?” Jareth teased back.

“No, but I’d know these ugly mugs anywhere,”

“It’s very rude to stare!” the one with the ring in his ears yelled at them.

“I’m aware,” Sarah said slowly, making the words clearly with her mouth so the deaf one could understand her.

“Joy, yet another choice we need to make,”

“Do the doors lead to the same place every time?”

“’Fraid not, Precious,” Jareth replied, “You see, what lies behind the doors changes depending on where they show up in the Labyrinth, while the mute one led you through the Firey Forest the last time, there’s no telling where it could lead now.”

“So we’re screwed either way. Nice to know beforehand,” Sarah sighed.

“We really need to have a talk about your use of such vulgarity at some point,”

“It’s not going away any time soon, so get used to it,” she gave the doors a critical eye, “Hmm, what’s say we both knock, and see which place seems the least immediately dangerous.”

“Bit of a foolish plan, if you ask me,” Jareth answered, “Remember: things aren’t always what they seem. You can’t take anything for granted.”

She huffed, “Right, well as we really have nothing to lose,”

“Nothing but the game you mean,”

“Yes, nothing to lose. Why not try it?”

“I suppose it’d take far too much time for me to think of a better plan. So alright.”

They each stood before a door with one hand on the ring of the knocker. They knocked three times and the doors opened. Beyond both lay a seemingly innocuous forest setting.

“Well, that doesn’t help,” Sarah said as she glanced from wooded scene to wooded scene, “Now what do we do?”

“Well, give it a moment,” Jareth replied, “Surely if there’s any dangerous goings on they’ll very quickly make themselves known.”

“And you’re absolutely sure the door on the right doesn’t lead through the Firey Forest?”

“No, but the only ones who would know for sure are the inhabitants themselves. And if it doesn’t lead to those accursed creatures, then we really don’t want to know what could be lurking within there.”

There was a rustling in the bushes coming from the door on the right. Without thinking Jareth grabbed a hold of the knocker and pulled the door shut. A few scant seconds later they heard something crash, presumably headlong into the door. The knocker with the ring in his mouth grumbled something about the impact hurting. Jareth grabbed Sarah’s arm and tugged her into the door on the left. The wooden structure closed slowly behind them.

“What was that,” Sarah asked stiltedly, fear and adrenaline still coursing through her veins.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” Jareth replied pushing against his thighs as he stood with bent knees, “But the avian instincts from my owl form told me it was not something we wanted to go up against. So I can say with complete certainty, that was _not_ the Firey Forest.”

“Right,” Sarah agreed. She stood up fully and looked around. This forest seemed a lot calmer, and more brightly lit than the other one they had seen, and the Firey Forest.

“Where is this place?” she asked.

“How many times are you going to ask me that question?” Jareth asked in reply, “As Ciara may have stated before, it’s been quite some time since I’ve actually been _through_ the Labyrinth. And because it’s always shifting around there’s never any way to say for certain where someone is within the Labyrinth’s walls.”

“Well, at least there’s a path here,” Sarah said gesturing to the lighter colored line of dirt that wound through the trees, “Come on,” she took him by the forearm and pulled him along.

As they walked among the trees they noticed luscious foliage dotted with sweet-smelling blooms. A soft breeze stirred the leaves, making them rustle. The sounds of the forest were muted and it seemed almost too quiet. At some point along the way Sarah had let go and Jareth had taken the lead. The more he looked at his surroundings the more familiar they seemed to become. His expression grew both pensive and wary. Memories from Sarah’s run rattled around in his mind, and he finally realized where they were.

“Sarah,” he warned, “Whatever you do, don’t stray off the path. And _do_ _not_ , under any circumstances, eat the fruit!” there was no answer, “Sarah?” still nothing, growing worried Jareth turned around calling, “Sarah!” the path behind him was empty, Sarah was gone.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And we come to the end at last, sort of anyways

The wind stirred Sarah’s hair and sent the light aroma of the multiple flower blooms through the air. The scent of the floral perfumes permeated Sarah’s nostrils, it was almost impossible to breathe without smelling them. Sarah looked around, where had Jareth gone? Hopefully he hadn’t strayed off the path. Sarah looked down and took a small comfort in the fact that the earth beneath her feet was still that light, dusky brownish color. Shaking her head, she decided to go look for the great glittery doofus.

“Jareth?” she called as she continued along her path, “Jareth? Where are you?” no response.

She tried keeping to the path, something that proved difficult if she wanted to find the Goblin Monarch. She peered through the visible gaps in the trees, trying to see if she could spot him. eventually she ended up at the end of the path, which turned into a grove of even more of the fragrant trees. The only difference, some of these trees had fruit growing and ripening on them. Sarah meandered about the different trees, still looking for Jareth, and shuddered when she came upon one particular tree that held some of the riper produce. The fruit looked luscious and succulent: rounded and full. But the flesh color of it caused Sarah’s to pale. It was an enormous peach tree.

Arms crossed and holding herself steady, Sarah hurried past the tree and tried not to look at it. Other fruit plants came into view now: grapes vines, lemon, lime, and coconut trees, strawberry bushes and fruit plants Sarah had never known existed before. When she came to the very center of the grove she found an enormous apple tree that grew all three known kinds of apple. Sarah stood there, mouth agape, transfixed by the horticultural phenomenon. The wind blew, and the scent of the apples and their blooms beckoned her closer.

Movement came from the trunk of the tree and Sarah was nearly startled by a brown serpent-like creature that moved along the tree’s base with no trouble at all.

“Ahh,” it’s gravely voice almost made it sound like it was hissing, “What have we here?”

“I,” Sarah shored up her courage, “I’m Sarah Williams and I’ve come looking for Jareth the Goblin King,” she said firmly.

“Sssarah Williamsss,” the creature’s tongue slipped out on the s’s, “Ah _yessss_ … I’ve heard of you. The only mortal to ever defeat the Labyrinth under Jareth’ssss reign, no?”

“So what if I am? Have you seen Jareth or not?”

“Patiensse child,” the serpent countered smoothly, “Sssurely if you’ve made it thiss far you’ve nothing to worry about.”

“You say that now,” Sarah replied, “But every second I’m not finding my way out of here with Jareth is another second less I have to get to the kingdom.”

“True,” the serpent agreed, “But at the very leasst, you must be _ssstarving_ ,”

As the wind tickled Sarah’s cheeks she found herself admitting, “I suppose I am,”

“Well then,” the serpent’s expression twisted into what Sarah assumed was a smile, “Allow me,” it darted up the trunk of the tree and a few seconds later returned with a delicious looking apple: blood red in color. The creature held its tail, and by extension the apple out to Sarah.

“Well?” it gently pressed, “Go on, take it.”

Sarah held out her hand and felt the serpent press the fruit into her palm. She held her prize aloft to the sun and inspected it. It looked like any normal apple. Sarah shrugged and brought it to her face, opening her mouth to take a bite. Suddenly, something both Jareth and Ciara had said to her echoed within her mind. Slowly she lowered the apple.

“Thank you for your generous offer,” Sarah said, “But actually, I think I’m okay for right now.”

“Oh but you musst,” the serpent cajoled, “I _insisssst_.”

“I said, no thank you,” Sarah told it firmly.

The serpent cocked its head to the side and looked at her. After a moment of deliberation, it shook its head, “I had hoped it wouldn’t come to thissss,”

“Come to what?” Sarah asked.

“ _Thissss_ ,” the serpent repeated and without warning a root from the tree shot out of the ground and wrapped itself around Sarah, rendering her immobile with the apple poised in front of her lips.

“What that-” Sarah began, promptly closing her lips as the root tried to force her hand forward.

The serpent chuckled darkly as it scampered down the tree trunk, onto the root and up over Sarah’s shoulder, “You sssee my dear,” it taunted, “your fate iss _ssssealed_!” it wrapped its tail around Sarah’s throat and began squeezing.

*******************************************

Jareth continued running down the path looking for Sarah. No sign nor trace of her anywhere. Eventually he came where he knew all the trails in this part of the Labyrinth led. The fruit grove where all the enchanted, hallucinogenic items that had been and at some times were still used by Fae either for their own amusement and pleasures or to stall and defeat a runner. The fruits were organized by how strong their enchantments were. Smaller fruits had less effect, though still potent enough to render even a Fae unconscious for a few hours. Mid-sized fruits: like oranges and clementines usually lasted a day or sometimes two factoring the size and stature of the ingester. Large fruits, like watermelon, were used only at Fae celebrations where inebriation and hallucinating was more than welcomed.

However, there was one fruit more powerful than all the rest. It was strictly forbidden to be eaten by any creature magical or mortal unless they were attempting to secure the Labyrinth’s crown. He cautiously approached the Eden Apple Tree and held back an unmanly gasp. Sarah lay in a heap on the ground, sprawled out and dreaming; an apple with only one bit taken out of it lying scant inches from her fingertips.

Something wasn’t right, surely after their conversation –and knowing Ciara this had already been addressed before Sarah had agreed to return here- Sarah would have known not to eat any fruit offered to her or growing here without knowing it was safe to eat. But there she was, having apparently eaten an apple that was only used for the most dangerous of creatures. The apples that grew from this tree were so lethal they could put a troll twelve times the size of Ludo out for eternity. They were used to subdue hordes of wild, blood-thirsty beasts that showed up at times and wreaked havoc on peoples throughout the Underground and the Fairylands beyond. However, they could also be used for ill; so unless it had been sanctioned by a monarch of a kingdom, only the Goblin King –being the master of dreams- was allowed to use them at will.

Jareth, despite being thought of as cruel, had never used these apples for his own personal gain. There were countless stories of those who had lost loved ones to the enchanted fruit. And while they didn’t require as much as Humans did, magical folk also needed sustenance in order to survive. The apple rendered anyone who had eaten it comatose and unable to eat or drink. Before the eyes of everyone they ended up wasting away to skin and bones, and eventually dust.

And now, Sarah had been victimized.

Jareth fell to his knees, two willful tears escaping his eyes and trailing silently down his cheeks. He gathered Sarah in his arms and held her close. Husky, hissing laughter drew his attention to the tree trunk and he glared at the guardian which was _supposed_ to protect not only the tree but any who ignorantly approached it.

“What were you thinking?” he growled out through ground teeth, “This was not what you were ordered to do!”

The serpent continued to laugh, “My ordersss come from far beyond you,” it hissed, “My purposssse in life iss to tempt and corrupt. The innosssensse of mortalss like her never lassstss, unlessss it iss captured. The pure heart of thisss girl will feed me for millennia.”

“No, I won’t let you have her!” Jareth said vehemently, “I’ll retrieve her Lucifer, just you watch.”

Lucifer shook with mirth, “It’ssss already too late Goblin King,” he taunted, “The girl belongsss to me now.”

Jareth continued to cradle his champion and noticed red welts around her neck, “You forced her,” he accused, “You forced her which means I have a chance to get her back!”

“Perhapsss,” Lucifer agreed, inclining his head ever so slightly, “But even if you sssucceed you will losse the game and your crown. Either way, Goblin King, I will get ssomething out of thisss.”

“I will take any risk, and any loss necessary to save Sarah,” Jareth replied.

He gently set Sarah back on the ground, tugging off one of his gloves by the middle finger with his teeth. He knew what needed to be done.

*******************************************

Ciara hurriedly pulled the crystal from her gaze and threw it against the wall where it shattered into stardust. Worriedly she bit down on a knuckle and just as quickly re-conjured a scrying crystal, only to destroy that one as well.

“Hey,” Hoggle interrupted, touching her shoulder gently, “If you keep doin’ that them Goblins’s gonna be pickin’ crystal slivers outta their feet fer the next month.”

Having just conjured yet another crystal Ciara sighed and slid off the throne. Her grip on the crystal was so tight Hoggle was surprised that cracks hadn’t already started forming along the glass-like surface, “I suppose you’re right,” she said as she began to pace, shaking the crystal in her frustration, “But what am I to do?”

“Whaddya mean?”

“Cheating under any circumstances in this game is absolutely forbidden. If Jareth uses any type of magic, even to save Sarah, his run is rendered null and void. I issued that rule believing it wouldn’t be an issue but,” she cut herself off and sighed at the unfolding scene warily, “I never expected the Labyrinth would put that damn, Danu forsaken orchard behind that door. Well, I mean I foresaw it, but it was nothing more than one of the most minute possibilities and infinitesimal probabilities for this game. Just what is the Labyrinth playing at?”

She continued pacing for a few moments before stopping short and staring at Hoggle, “Wait a minute, that’s it!” she tossed the crystal at him, “Keep an eye on them,” she ordered.

“Me?” Hoggle asked, “Why?”

“Cheating disqualifies their run only if I, the mistress of the game, happen to catch them doing it. However, if I am gone while the cheating occurs I have no concrete proof it happened and it therefore doesn’t count. And unlike me, you aren’t bound by your very makeup against lying. On the other hand, I need to know if something really dangerous happens to them. So I will retire to the library for some time. Either way I trust you will keep me informed of any wrong doings or danger, no?” she inclined her head in such a way as to let Hoggle know what she was leaving unsaid. Words had far too much power in this world, and what was unsaid was often just as important as what was.

“I read you loud and clear yer Majesty,” Hoggle replied, holding tight to the crystal, “Ain’t nothin’ gonna happen I ain’t aware of,” and then, simply because he could, he winked at her.

Ciara flashed a sharp-toothed grin and swirled out of the room.

*******************************************

Jareth spat out the glove onto the ground without any heed for where or in what state it landed. He knew he had to work fast, and that since Sarah had been forced to eat the apple there may have been a way to save her. Some of the most ancient legends about the tree of Eve was that if two people were to retain contact and ate from the same fruit they would be allowed into one another’s hallucination. There was only one problem, Sarah had said the words and that kept him not only out of her world, but out of her dreams as well.

“Hell,” he swore under his breath, he looked at Sarah and pulled her up to him, gently pressing his bare fingertips against her forehead.

“Sarah,” he called, she mumbled something incoherent and shifted into a more comfortable position, but did not wake up, “Sarah,” he tried again; more movement ensued but he couldn’t get her to speak, “Please Sarah, I will do my best to save you, but I can’t do that unless you let me in. Please Sarah,”

“You,” she whispered.

“My name Sarah, say my name,” Jareth prodded.

“J,” the letter slipped past, the rest dissolving into groans. This continued a few more times until finally, “Jareth,”

“Thank Danu,” Jareth sighed in relief.

Supporting Sarah’s head in the crook of his arm, he grabbed the damned apple with his remaining gloved hand and brought it to his lips: making sure that the bare hand was pressed firmly against his forehead. Taking a deep breath, he bit.

 

When Sarah opened her eyes she found herself standing in the middle of a misty field. Violet and pink swirled around her. Off in the near distance she saw finely bedecked couples waltzing together, their identities hidden by their grotesque venetian masques. Sarah herself was dressed in a slim diaphanous gown spun out of the night sky itself and jeweled with stars. A soft breeze whispered around her, ruffling her hair and sending it swirling around her. Sarah squinted at the visions before her.

“What the,” she furrowed her brow and looked at her hands, “Where am I?” there was a nagging sensation in the back of her brain, “I’ve, I’ve been here before, haven’t I?”

She felt a pressure at her forehead and groaned, pressing against the aching area with her fingers, “Ugh, I can’t remember, I’ve forgotten… forgotten, what was I?” she stumbled forward a few steps, “Why am I here? Was I looking for something, or someone..?”

Then she heard it, “Sarah,” a voice called out and it echoed all around her.

Sarah looked every which way she could think of but saw no one. But who ever it was she knew that was what she’d been looking for.

The voice called out again, “Sarah,”

“I’m here!” she wanted to cry out, but the words seemed stuck in her throat.

“Sarah,” the voice became more insistent, “Sarah!”

Who was this that kept calling for her? It didn’t matter she knew it was, “You!” she cried out, the sound nearly wrenched from her. A silhouette appeared before her, masculine and familiar, but she couldn’t put a face to it. Nevertheless, she ran to it, -knowing it was the source of the voice that had called to her- and stopped just short of its embrace.

“My name Sarah,” the voice chided, “Say my name,”

“J,” the letter slipped out before she could think. She wanted to scream, she couldn’t remember the name. Over and over the voice continued to beg, leading with her to say her name, the name that would set her free. The word, the name was like a sugar cube resting on the tip of her tongue, but it refused to melt into her mouth and give her the prize it dangled before her and taunted her with.

“J, J,” Sarah tried to force it from her, but nothing seemed to come. Finally, the dam broke and the name, His name poured forth, “Jareth!”

And there he was right before her eyes. They stared at one another in shock for a moment, and then he swept her up into an embrace before she had time to process what was going on.

“Sarah,” she heard him say, though the sound was a bit muffled due to her being crushed against his chest, “Thank Danu you’re alright.”

“Jareth?” she said as he drew back and let her breathe again, “Jareth what’s going on? Where are we? What happened?”

“Eh…” suddenly Jareth looked wary. He scratched at the back of his head and looked anywhere but her eyes, “I’m afraid we’ve had a bit of history repeating itself.”

“What do you,” Sarah began, but his expression was all the answer she needed, “Oh _hell_ no. I ate another goddamn roofie fruit? Come on!” she put a hand to her forehead and dragged it down her face in an exasperated motion.

“I’m afraid so,” Jareth affirmed, “As for where we are: we’re in the dreamscape of course.”

“What’s the dreamscape?” Sarah asked.

“It’s exactly what you’re most likely thinking it is,” Jareth replied, “A place where the mind is free and active. This is the basis for all Human dreams.”

“Then, the hallucinogenic peach?”

“Slightly different,” Jareth told her, “It was originally intended to be nothing more than a dream. However, I underestimated your own power, and no I do not mean the special powers I supposedly gifted to you as per that insipid little book you were so fond of,” he said noting her cynical expression, “what I mean is your power of imagination, and of faith. While the crystals I send out are supposed to make the fantasies in a mortal’s mind lifelike; your powers combined with my own made everything within that ballroom _real_ within the confines of that enchantment. That’s why you heard those screams when you smashed the crystal, those people were in a sense dying, dissolving back into the magic they were originally made of.”

“And you felt it necessary to not tell me this until now?”

“It truly had nothing to do with the heart of the matter at that point,” Jareth pointed out, “The details of exactly what the ballroom and those within it were were just that: details. The only reason I’ve explained it to you now is that it’s relevant to the topic.”

“Ah,” Sarah replied noncommittally, “So if I say I wanted a piece of chocolate ice-cream cake…” suddenly a plate with a slice of the pastry she wished for appeared in front of her along with a fork to consume it.

“Cool,” she remarked as she banished it with naught but a thought, “Really weird and supposedly impossible, but cool all the same.”

“Indeed,” Jareth agreed, “Now, we need to find a way out of here or else the game and my crown won’t be the only things we forfeit.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Sarah, that apple was no ordinary enchanted fruit. It was the mother of them all. Fae and other magical creatures use those apples to subdue and even destroy blood-thirsty creatures that would otherwise have wiped us all out ages ago.”

“What?”

“The enchantment of the apples is so strong that almost all who’ve ingested them have died due to comatose states. They are forever trapped within the dream, and their bodies waste away as a result.”

“But what’s the way to get out?”

“Of that, I’m not entirely sure,” Jareth admitted.

“Then why did you risk everything to come here!” Sarah lamented, “You and I went through all the trouble, and now it’s gonna be for nothing! And what’s going to happen? I’m never gonna see my family again, or my friends, or anyone…”

“Sarah,” Jareth’s tone made her look at him, “I wished to return the favor,” he said simply.

“Return the favor? For what?”

“You rescued me from the Cleaners, and I am in no way deserving of my crown if I could not stand with you as an equal. Besides that, I wanted to.”

“Why?”

“Sarah, you may not believe me when I say this, but I shall say it anyways. _You_ are worth far more than a lost crown.”

Sarah’s cheeks pinked, “Really?”

“Of course,” Jareth’s kind smile just as quickly turned into a smirk that spelled trouble, “And while I may not have the exact answer, I do believe I have a solution that will work.”

“Oh really?” Sarah quirked a brow and feigned sassy amusement, “And just what would that be?”

“Sarah, for all intents and purposes this journey is a Fairy Tale –though one of the most unconventional I’ve ever experienced- is it not?”

Sarah nodded thoughtfully, “I suppose so. But what answer could be found with,” his expression, this time hungry and predatory, once again clued her in, “Oh, _no_. No, no, no, no, no. You _can’t_ be serious.”

“Have you any better ideas?”

“Well no, but-”

“Then you’re saying you wish to consider the alternative?”

“Hmm,” Sarah looked at her hands as she weighed her options, “I either let you do,” she paused and looked at him, “that. Or I spend eternity stuck with you in dreamland while our bodies slowly decompose until we’re dead while my friends and your subjects potentially get assigned a far crueler monarch and my family more than likely assumed I’ve been kidnapped, raped, and either sold into sex slavery or murdered,” she raised and lifted her hands in a mock imitation of a scale attempting to balance out, “Well, option two does have some appeal…”

“Come now Sarah,” Jareth chided, “must you be so overdramatic?”

“This coming from the literal King of drama?” Sarah quipped as she looked at him cynically. After a beat she sighed, “Oh, alright,” she relented, “Let’s just do this and get it over with.”

“Good choice,” Jareth said as he got closer, “Now lay down.”

“No way,” Sarah shook her head, “Why would I do that?”

“You have to,” Jareth argued, “it’s how these things are done. Do you really want to take the chance of it not working?”

Sarah let out a noise that was half-groan, half-huff, “Damn you and your not supposed to make sense but it somehow does logic. Alright,” she got on the ground and stretched so that she was laying flat on her back, “But I swear to God, Jareth that if even one finger goes below my collarbone you are getting one swift and hard kick to the crystals, is that clear?”

Jareth rolled his eyes good-naturedly but refrained from chuckling like Sarah could tell he wanted to, “Absolutely my dear,” he said placatingly, “Now close your eyes.”

“Someone’s really reveling in this whole scenario,” Sarah commented, doing as he said nonetheless, “And you can bet all the glitter in your kingdom it isn’t me.”

“Considering this is the only time I’ll ever have the power to make you do as I say with minimal backlash; I’d bet you’d be right.”

“Hmph,” Sarah replied, remaining still and keeping her eyes closed, “Just get on with it.”

“As you wish,” Jareth replied, putting an arm under her and raising her head even as he kneeled down.

Sarah felt a warm sensation tickling her lips. She knew what it was, had even had her own share of kissed before this one, thanks to the various high-school graduation parties she’d attended. In a small town like hers, graduation parties for any class were usually a week-long free for all that any kid over the age of sixteen was invited to attend. As a result, she’d had her first kiss shortly before the one-year anniversary of her trek through the Labyrinth. But Jareth’s kiss made her forget that and any other experience of kissing she’d ever had. Maybe it was because he was a Fae, maybe it was because that near miss in the Ballroom had had her anxiously wondering what it would feel like for years in the furthest recesses of her subconscious. Whatever the reason, Sarah didn’t care, in fact much to her chagrin she found herself hoping it would continue.

But all too soon, the sensation of being kissed melted away, and Sarah realized she was in that half-state: the in-between place of dreams and reality, much like having floated to the shore of a beach but still being touched and almost floating atop the water. Her eyelids fluttered and she made a small noise of waking. Her eyes opened to display the blue sky that resided over the Labyrinth; and reveal that she was sprawled, back to front, across Jareth’s chest.

Slowly she pushed herself to a sitting position on the ground. Her head felt heavy and her eyes spun for a few seconds. Sarah closed her eyes to block out the sensation and heard Jareth go through his own little awakening. When she opened her eyes again, hoping to give that damn serpent a piece of her mind she found they were no longer in the orchard.

“What the?” she breathed out, voice slightly hoarse from sleep.

“Huh, seems we’ve been moved,” Jareth commented. Sarah turned and watched him shift, unlike her he chose to stand.

“So where are we? Do you recognize this place?”

“Surely you would,” Jareth replied, “It’s near the same place you ended up the last time you ate a hallucinogenic fruit.”

“You mean we’re in the Junkyard?” Sarah rubbed her eyes and took a closer look at her surroundings, mountains of manmade –for lack of a better word- dotted the landscape while miniatures, more than likely piled atop the backs of Goblins, moved and shifted about, “Yep, now I see it. Kinda glad I didn’t end up bringing the fruit with me this time. Speaking of which, is it really the fruit that’s enchanted? Or is it those neon green worms that appear to live inside them?”

“There was a worm in your peach?” Jareth asked. When Sarah nodded he wrinkled his nose, “That’s absolutely disgusting, and I had no knowledge one was living in there. My belated apologies for that.”

“So the worm was –at least for this place- more or less normal, correct?”

“Correct,” she saw Jareth glance up at the sky and make a noise of discontent.

“What is it?”

“Have you looked at the sky in the past few minutes?” he asked her, at her nod he prodded, “Really looked at it? Try looking again Sarah,” he held out a hand and helped her up.

When Sarah took a really good look at the sky she noticed that the furthest edges of the horizon were tinting orange and yellow. The sun was sinking into the sky and that meant they were running out of time.

“What the, how long were we in that dreamscape or whatever it is?”

“I can’t be certain,” Jareth replied, “But judging on the position of the sun? Too long,” he grabbed her by the hand, “Come on, we’re nearly there.”

*******************************************

After watching them wake up Hoggle breathed a sigh of relief. Lowering the crystal to his side he called out, “Yer Majesty!”

Instantly Ciara appeared, “Hoggle, what is it? Are they okay?”

“They’s fine,” Hoggle replied, “Out on the border of the Junklands is all.”

“If they’re already there then it means…” Ciara trailed off and looked at the clock in the throne room, “Well, that’s adequate I suppose, they don’t have much time left. Alright Hoggle, I’ll take that crystal back now.”

The Dwarf tossed the clear orb back to her and she caught it on one fingertip. Balancing it easily she rolled it into her palm and clasped it tightly.

“So your highness,” Didymus said riding over on his Sheepdog steed, “What must we do now?”

“Wait and see,” Ciara replied without taking her gaze of the images within the crystal. She distractedly yet miraculously made it to the throne without injury, “We need to know their plan of attack before we formulate one of out own. It never does any good to be over prepared now does it?”

*******************************************

Surprisingly enough, the Junklands were a bit of a maze in their own right; especially since piles that may have been confused for landmarks were usually the piles atop the backs of Hoarder Goblins and moved around a great deal. Sarah couldn’t help but notice that unlike a good majority of Jareth’s “normal” Goblins, these ones were much more humanoid in appearance. They were roughly the same size, and had similar features: though their skin tone was a dead giveaway they weren’t Human as one might have first suspected.

“Jareth,” she said as they passed the same Hoarder for the third time in a row.

“Yes?”

“These aren’t normal Goblins, are they?” Sarah asked, tilting her head over to one of Hoarders shifting about with their weight on their back.

“Quite an astute observation,” Jareth replied, “You are absolutely correct Sarah-mine; these _aren’t_ normal Goblins. They’re turned Humans.”

“Turned Humans? You mean Humans that were turned into Goblins?”

“Indeed. These are the runners who succumbed to the temptations of their past; worthless trinkets that were nothing more than junk. They became so caught up in meaningless possessions that they put their importance over that of another living being. And because of that they found themselves unable to leave.”

“Unable to leave? Aren’t all runners who fail sent back?”

“That depends on where you are in the Labyrinth. Certain areas offer certain temptations and force you to make the decision of either giving up or going on. Take your encounter with the Fierys for example; they were also once humans but they succumbed to a life free of worries and thus became unable to leave.”

“So why do they look like birds instead of Goblins?”

“That forest was once the habitat of the Old Fiery race,” Jareth explained, “A rather unintentionally blood-thirsty group of creatures. Unlike the little feathered fiends living there now, those Fierys wouldn’t stop until your head did come off. We had to use the apples to subdue them; but the magic in that portion of the Labyrinth had become so infected by their presence it started turning Humans who gave up at that point into slightly more benign versions of the creatures.”

“And that’s what happened with the Goblins who now live here?” Sarah said, “Huh, this world is surprisingly more complicated than I gave it credit for. Are the Dwarves who live here also originally descended from transformed Humans?”

“No, they were a race that has always been and will always be. Humans in the past did mate with them occasionally though.”

“Well I certainly didn’t need to know that,” Sarah made a face and stuck out her tongue.

“I’m sure you didn’t but since you had asked…”

“Right, choose your words carefully and all that.”

*******************************************

“Hmm,” Ciara said lounging on the throne in the same boneless manner as her former charge, “She’s a sharp one, this Champion of his. Not many notice that those Goblins were once Human.”

“Sarah’s always been special,” Hoggle said in reply.

“Yey verily,” Sir Didymus agreed, “Our fair maiden hast done what countless others failed to do.”

Ciara gave a muffled laugh, “Oh? And what would that be?”

“She hast bested our King!”

“Sarah friend!” Ludo purred his own addition.

The acting Queen put a hand over her mouth to stifle her mirth and hide her grin. The effort was in vain, “I’m quite aware of all that. She is a remarkable girl,” Ciara turned to the Goblins, “And you; what do you lot think of her?”

“Of who?” called one.

“The girl,” Ciara replied.

“What girl?” cried another.

Ciara pinched the space between her brows and sighed’ if that was how they wanted to play it, then fine, she’d play along, “The girl with the power.”

“What power?”

“Power of voodoo,”

“Who do?”

“You do,”

“Do what?”

“Tell me of the girl,” as Ciara finished the banter Jareth so seemed to enjoy with his subjects there came a chorus of cacophonous laughter, “Yes, yes you’ve had your fun now settle down,” she quieted them, “Now tell me truthfully: what do you think of Sarah?”

“Who’s Sarah?” piped up one from the back of the horde.

“You blockhead!” admonished one nearby, “She’s talkin’ bout the girl!”

“What girl?”

“The Girl who ate the peach and forgot everything!” Ciara stood and nearly bellowed, not wanting to go through the inanity again, “What do you think of her?”

“Ain’t she the Queenie?” asked a little Goblin at the front. It was a young one, and had probably been born shortly after news of Sarah’s victory spread throughout the kingdom.

“She could be, if she so decided,” Ciara answered gently, kneeling down and scooping the tyke up into her arms, “Is that what you want?”

“Lady seem nice,” it replied, “And strong, King need Lady like Queenie.”

“I suppose, but that’s entirely up to her. And to the result of this challenge,” still cradling the Goblin child Ciara walked over to the window and surveyed the City. Any minute now they would be striding through those gates, expecting an ambush no doubt.

There was a tug at her cape, “Yer majesty,” Hoggle began, “The Capitan o’ the Guard wishes to know your order. Jareth and Sarah are on their way.”

“I know Hoggle,” she said turning her attention back to the empty streets and alleys, “I know.”

*******************************************

At this point they had cleared their way through the Junklands and into the outer gate that guarded the City. The Guard who had been sleeping at the time was still there, and still snoring away. Thankfully, unlike last time, neither Sarah nor Jareth were inclined to wake him. And much to Sarah’s amusement, Humongous was still where she had left it the last time: headless with its axe stuck in the arch overhead and its hands unwilling to let go of the handle. As they circled around it to get into the city Sarah shot him a wry, sardonic smirk coupled with an arched brow.

“What?” he asked.

“Do you really think you should leave something that big, destructive, and dangerous just lying around like that?” she asked.

“I have no choice,” Jareth replied, “Considering you and your friends destroyed its circuitry and no one except for my father and the engineer who built the damn thing have any idea how it works.”

“Ah, touché,” Sarah allowed.

They pushed open the wide metal doors which actually led inside the city. Much like when Sarah first entered into the Goblin City it was empty and deathly quiet. Too quiet. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end, ears alert and head constantly darting back and forth swearing she had seen something out the corner of her eye. The only living being they seemed to come across was a lone cat or chicken, the latter of which Jareth was prompt to boot out of their way with a particularly venomous glare.

Sarah suppressed a giggle at the way he was acting with the poultry and absentmindedly wondered what would happen if someone were to sneak up behind him and start squawking like a chicken. She’d lay odds ten to one he’d glitter-poof himself the hell out of Dodge as fast as his magic could take him.

“I know what you’re thinking about and I’m not amused, Precious,” his voice cut into her thoughts.

“What could I possibly be thinking about that wouldn’t amuse you Goblin King?” she asked with faux-cluelessness, batting her eyes innocently for effect.

Jareth let out a breath of laughter, “I can see why you aspired to be an actress,” He said, “You’re quite good at getting people to underestimate how much you know and exactly what you’re capable of. It’s a skill that I’m sure will get you far in life, especially if you ever decide to go into politics.”

“Thanks,”

“But if I catch you even considering any devious thoughts about pranking me with anything chicken related I swear I’ll take you over my knee and spank you with my riding crop.”

“Geez Goblin King,” Sarah feigned nonchalance, “Didn’t know you were into kinky,” the last bit was said with all the sarcasm Sarah could inject into her voice.

“There’s a great deal you don’t know about me,” Jareth sidestepped the obvious chance at making an innuendo in favor of good taste and not being on the receiving end of a slap to the face or a knee to his crown jewels, “Counting this run, we’ve only spent a total of fourteen hours in each other’s presence. And even then, we’ve been a little preoccupied with more important matters.”

“Is that a situation you’re planning on rectifying when all this is over?”

“Depending,”

“Depending on what?”

“If you would allow me the honor.”

“Only of we win,”

“You have doubts we will at this point?”

“Considering I got pretty far in last time only to have the _entire_ Goblin Army sicced on me? Yeah, I’ll admit without shame I’m a little wary.”

“You shouldn’t be,”

“Why not?”

“Because, I know my nursemaid and the way she operates. Even if she does send the guards after us they’ll likely be too pickled to pose any real threat. Not only that, but a good portion of the Goblins she has under her thumb at the moment are still very loyal to me. They wouldn’t fight against me for fear of being Bogged once I regain my crown.”

He ended up being right. They met no obstacle on their way through the City and into the Castle. Once at the gate the doors let them in with no problem either. The whole thing was going so smoothly it left Sarah nervous.

“Welcome my challengers,” Ciara greeted regally from her place on the throne of the Goblin Monarch, surrounded by the little creatures she currently had dominion over with one smaller one resting in her lap much like a cat would in a James Bond movie. At her right hand side stood Hoggle, Didymus and Ludo and they were overjoyed to see their friend again.

“Guys!” Sarah cried as she rushed to embrace them.

“Sarah!” they called back, hurrying to meet her in the middle. Sarah very quickly found herself in the middle of a crushing pile of embraces from her friends.

“Ahem,” Ciara cleared her throat. Sarah blushed and stepped back alongside Jareth.

Cuddling the tiny Goblin close to her chest she rose from her seat and set it on the ground where it quickly rejoined the horde flanking their ruler on all sides.

“As I said before: welcome my challengers. You’ve done quite well, though even you must admit this was cutting it a bit close, no?” she glanced over at the clock where the longer hand stood one minute from thirteen.

“We would have been here sooner if it hadn’t been that damn serpent and his insipid little apple tree,” Jareth retorted.

“I’m aware,” his nanny replied coolly, “But nevertheless: you’re here. And I am a Fae of my word,” with two hands she raised the silver circlet with the emblem of the Goblin Kingdom off her head and held it out to Jareth, “Take it; take what is rightfully yours.”

Jareth nodded solemnly and stepped forth to retried his station of office. In his hands the circlet returned to a pendant on a leather cord which with placed around his neck without the pomp and circumstance Sarah thought would happen.

“Wait a minute,” she broke in confusedly, “Since when is it that easy? Aren’t you two supposed to throw down in some epic, high stakes, all or nothing final battle where the hero –in this case you Jareth- defeats the villain by saying their right words?”

The two Fae looked at her amusedly, “Traditionally, that’s true,” Ciara agreed, “But there’s no need to do that in this case. Your goal was to reach the center of the Labyrinth, together, within thirteen hours. You’ve accomplished that have you not?” at Sarah’s nod she continued, “Then you have won fair and square. Besides, I never intended to keep this crown: with all love and respect I don’t know how you put up with a majority of your subject being abject idiots.”

“It does take a special talent not to go insane from it all. However, while you may not have intended to keep the crown you did have another goal in mind,” Jareth addressed her, “You meant to meddle in my affairs. Honestly you’re worse than my mother.”

“Considering I’ve met your mother that’s a compliment Jareth dear,” Ciara replied.

“Oh,” Sarah said after concluding they’d finished explaining just what was going on, “Well this this is a little anticlimactic isn’t it?”

“You’d rather run circles round the Escher room again?” Ciara raised a brow, “My, my Sarah, I had no idea you were such a masochist.”

“I’m not!” Sarah shook with a mixture of embarrassment and fury, “Excuse me for having certain expectations about these things, especially when my assumptions are based in experience.”

“True,” Jareth and Ciara agreed. The nanny turned to her charge,

“Jareth, now that everything has been settled I think it’s time to return your Champion to her own world. I’ll escort her back. Would you reorder time so that it will be as though she never left?”

“But of course,” Jareth replied. He strode over to Sarah and raised her hand with his own. Bending over he brushed his lips over her skin, “Until we meet again, Precious,” he said with the mischievous gleam in his eyes Sarah had come to think of as characteristic for him.

“You’re making quite an assumption there, Goblin King,” she said softly, willing her cheeks not to flush. Judging by his expression it wasn’t working.

Before her could respond her friends returned to her side, “Remember Sarah,” Hoggle said, “Should you need us, for any reason at all…”

Sarah nodded and looked at the monarch who, like his kingdom, turned out to be more than he appeared, “I’ll call.”

“Come Sarah,” Ciara said, “I’ve opened a portal that will lead back to your room,” she gestured to a hallway arch.

Sarah nodded and walked over to the Fae woman. Linking arms with her she prepared to leave, but looked back over her shoulder at those watching her depart, “Goodbye everyone,” she bid them farewell, “I’m sure I’ll see you soon.”

And without further fanfare they stepped forward.

*******************************************

When Sarah next opened her eyes she found herself sitting on her bed, the time on her clock reading shortly after dinner. Ciara, in the same fashion as their first introduction, was sitting on the vanity table across from her. The Fae regarded her intently, but said nothing.

“So…” Sarah said awkwardly, kicking her legs back and forth a few times.

“Sarah,” Ciara said, “I must apologize to you. I’m sure that given your history with Jareth this was something you had never wanted to be involved, but I-”

“I get it,” Sarah cut her off, “And while part of me is a little upset at being manipulated the way I was: I understand why you did it. Hell, I suppose I’m even a little thankful. I mean, without you, I probably still would have been nursing scarred wounds as though they were still fresh, still wondering…”

“I’m sure that even without my interference you would have returned at some point,” Ciara said gently.

“Yeah,” Sarah snorted, “Probably when I was getting ready for my deathbed. Seriously, thank you. Damn you, but thank you all the same.”

The Fae nanny smiled and gave a small chuckle, “You are one of the most interesting and amusing beings I have ever met Sarah Williams.”

“Thank you,”

“Then, you don’t mind me keeping the Guard over young Tobias?” she asked, “At least until he’s old enough to decide whether or not he wishes to stay Human?”

“After everything I’ve been through today? I’m completely fine with it,” Sarah replied, “In fact, the only thing that could be better would be if you were Toby’s kindergarten teacher.”

“Ah yes,” Ciara laughed as she slid off the tabletop, “About that…”

Sarah’s jaw dropped, “You can’t be serious.”

Ciara, now standing before her looking like any young teacher of preadolescents paired with an overly large pair of glasses, smiled, “Nice to meet you Miss Williams,” she said extending a hand for a handshake, “I’m Miss Faelynn D’Arkness, Tobias’ kindergarten teacher. He’s told me so many wonderful things about you, you know.”

Sarah raised a brow, “Faelynn? Really?”

Ciara chuckled and the glamor faded away, “I do so love working with children,” she stilled then, as if hearing something that Sarah could not, “Ah, I see my time here is nearly up. Do you mind opening your window? I feel the need for the moonlight on my wings and the wind through my feathers.”

Sarah shrugged, but did as she was asked.

“Thank you Sarah Williams,” Ciara said as she approached the exit, “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you again soon. Sooner than even you may realize,” and with a swirl of magic, a black spotted snowy owl appeared where the Fae once stood. It softly hooted at Sarah before taking wing out the window and into the night.

“See you soon,” Sarah said to nothing more than the night air. She retrieved the music box from her vanity, changed into her pajamas, and wound it up as she lay down: falling asleep to the Goblin King’s melody.

*******************************************

Jareth stood at the balcony leading from his bedroom, watching the goings on of his subjects. There was a change in the air, and the King knew he was no longer alone.

“Back so soon?” he asked without turning around.

“Yes,” Ciara replied as she stepped forth from the shadows that seemed to cling to her like a cloak, “Jareth,” she began,

“Yes?”

“I feel as though I may have been a bit hasty in my previous assessment of the girl,”

“I’m sure you were,”

“Seeing her the way you got to. I can see why you lost,” the word carried a loaded meaning that pertained to more than his game.

“And why is that?” he asked, feigning ignorance.

“The mind and body may have been that of a child. But the heart and soul? A queen’s with no doubt.”

“I already knew that,” he said.

“Then I trust you are planning to do something about it.”

“I will,” Jareth finally turned to look at his nursemaid, “When she calls that is.”

“You truly think she will always have need of you? Of us?”

“Sarah has always been different than most mortals, but even so she has always lived up to my expectations of her: even if the sentiment is not always shared.”

“I see,” there was a moment of comfortable silence where neither Fae said a word, “Well then, I shall have to busy myself in my spare time, won’t I?”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something to do,” he said returning to his vigil over the city, “Now, be off with you then.”

Ciara laughed, “As you wish my lord. I’m sure there are Goblins dying to air out the royal nursery, and expand it. And then there are the preparations to be made for the Handfasting ceremony of course,”

“You really think you’ll need to expand the nursery?”

“Knowing you as well as I do, you won’t be married nine months before she gives birth. And she still won’t be fully Fae by the time she bears your third. Seeing the way you two interact, are you truthfully telling me you plan on abstaining from all acts of procreation after that?”

“You know as well as I a Fae cannot lie.”

Ciara smirked, “Indeed I do. The next time you see Sarah, tell her I’ll see her at the ceremony.”

“You’ll set me back to square one if I tell her that.”

“Anything worth having is worth fighting for,” and with those words she departed, leaving the newly reinstated king to his own devices.

“Anything worth having is worth fighting for,” he repeated, turning into an owl and flying off into the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that would be the end of this story, well I do have their first date written I have to find the document first. Tell me, would you like it added on to this or as its own separate thing? Also, reviews, comments, and constructive criticism always welcome. Fairfaren!


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